Secrets v.2.1
by Djuva
Summary: In the aftermath of the Rebels' victory at Endor secrets best left untold are threatened to be revealed, calling an ancient Sith Lord and an aged Jedi Master back in an effort to make their dreams come true. And in the midst of it all Luke Skywalker has
1. Darkness Rising

Plot: What if Vader wasn´t Luke and Leia´s father after all, but the real Dark Lord of Sith ****

Secrets v.2.1

Disclaimer: The characters etc.....

This is a slight variant of my story "Secrets", written mainly because I thought that the Dak Lord did deserve a happy end after all J Ain't I an old softie. This is an Alternate Universe, very much so, dealing with the possibility of what if Darth Vader were not Anakin Skywalker, but the Dark Lord of Sith, a secluded planet the Jedi Order would rather not know about. 

Luke Skywalker was taken completely by surprise, when the prisoner, who should have been too injured to move, very suddenly rose like a thunderstorm and grabbed the Jedi´s throat with his right hand, pushing him against the wall and up, until their faces were level with each other. Blue eyes blazing, the tall man snarled: "You didn´t know the Jedi the way I did!" He hissed at Luke, who tried to break free from the other´s hold, but was slowly weakinening with loss of oxygen. The two guards, who had been equally surprised stepped in and one put his blaster rifle´s muzzle to the prisoner´s left temple:" Put him down, Vader," the soldier ordered quitely. And the Dark Lord obeyed, letting the Jedi Knight drop to the floor in a tangled heap, then taking two steps back, suddenly deadly pale. He slumped to the floor opposite from Skywalker, exhausted. The other was shaking his head now to loosen the daze he was in, then turned his eyes to the captive. "What do you mean?" He asked, truly curious now. 

But the Dark Lord didn´t answer. The rebels had captured him only two days ago. The day the second Death Star had been destroyed, the day Palpatine had died, the day when.... No. He couldn´t think of that right now. Not under his enemy´s eyes. He would not permit himself any weakness now. There was no point. Not anymore. 

Seeing that he would get no answer to his question, Luke rose carefully, then motioned the guards outside, following them. Before the security door slid closed, he threw a last look at the dark-haired Sith, who seemed to have lost consciousness now. To have him here, to get his revenge at last, it was a delightful thought. But the Dark Lord´s comment about the Jedi was disturbing. If he knew something that Luke didn´t, he needed to get it out of him before the warlord´s impending execution. Maybe Master Yoda could help. They would pick him up in three more days at Dagobah, then fly to the current Rebel Headquarters at Dantooine, where Leia and Han and the others were already waiting. Leaving the prison block of the battleship `Liberty`, Luke couldn´t hide his glee, though. Vader would pay for his crimes against the galaxy and for everything he had done to harm Luke and his friends. For killing my father. For killing Nomi.

Darth Vader had his eyes closed. His breathing was shallow, when one of the medics assigned to the prison block came in, accompanied by two guards, and injected him with a pain-killing substance. She looked him over quickly, then disappeared again. Now that he was alone again, and most likely would be for some time, Vader sighed deeply. What had triggered that sudden outburst back there had been the young Jedi´s careless comment about "You Sith." "You Sith should never have been allowed to gain power," he had said, including Palpatine there, and that had truly rankled. Palpatine might have been a Dark Jedi, but not Sith. Vader was all that was left of them. The last Sith. Blinking back unbidden tears the Dark Lord remembered the past. He remembered first meeting Palpatine, when he had been a fourteen year old youth, a student at the Jedi Academy on Coruscant. Where the other apprentices his age already went on missions together with their teachers, he had had the Jedi Council to teach him and never left the Academy. 

His father had sent him to Coruscant to learn, a gesture of good-will towards the Jedi, one they saw as a chance to influence the young son of the Dark Lord of Sith. When he had arrived at the Academy he had been all wide-eyed curiosity, until he found out that the training he had previously received from his father put him ahead of the students in his class. Confused about what he was going to learn here, Vader had been relieved when the Council took it upon themselves to teach him. At first. Soon he saw through their attempted manipulations and refused to listen to their lectures, at least inwardly. The other students thought him arrogant and he wasn´t well liked. With one exception. The newly knighted Obi-Wan Kenobi had taken an interest in the Sith lore and tried to befriend him. Their friendship developed gradually, carefully. But in the end it payed off on both sides. Palpatine. That was what he had been thinking about. Palpatine had found him one warm evening atop the students´quarters, practising with his lightsaber. He told Vader that he was mature for his age, whatever that meant back then. Vader was sixteen then, and about to leave Coruscant for good. Palpatine, like Kenobi, had shown an interest in the Sith, and he was sincere, that the young man could feel through the Force. 

When Darth left the Academy two years later he knew that he had found an ally in Kenobi, one who might be able to sway the Council´s stance towards the Sith one day. And in Palpatine, who was a senator at that time. In high spirits, he returned home. Only a year later, though, his father died, leaving his only child to rule the Sith wisely. Unfortunately his son had seen more of the galaxy than any Sith in many generations, ever since the Jedi´s verdict that any Sith caught outside their system would be executed on the spot. They were afraid of the Sith´power. And rightly so. The story of the Sith had been a glorious one once. Not anymore. but the young Dark Lord was determined to change that. His people wanted to be free again, independent, just like everyone else. Luke Skywalker didn´t have a clue about all this. Nor should he. The Sith were dead, and their memory would die with their Dark Lord, forever.

When Luke entered his quarters, he immideatly went to take a shower. Meeting with Vader always made his skin itch. The last battle with him had been fierce and hard. It had been back on Endor, when the little team under Han Solo´s command stormed the bunker which stored the Death Star´s shield generator in the early morning hours, with a load of ewoks backing them up. Luke had gone immediately for the Dark Lord, whose impressive black-armored form was clearly visible among the white-clad stormtroopers. But he hadn´t been able to reach him at the first go, or the second or third. Other enemies were demanding his full attention, as if on purpose. When hours later the Death Star finally exloded in the blue midday sky above Endor, Vader was standing atop a small hill, fending off his attackers with wide sweeps of his blood-red lightsaber. 

He had turned his head to watch the explosion for a moment, Luke remembered, but the Dark Lord´s anguished cry ripping through the battle noises brought his attention back to the scene on the hill. From a distance, he saw Vader fall to his knees, and heard him scream again. He had run for the hill then, hefting his lightsaber, unmolested by the stunned troops watching their leader drop his defence and being overwhelmed by rebels and ewoks alike. Luke was panting, when he finally reached Leia and the others. A grim-faced Han Solo sat straddling the Dark Lord´s hip, holding his blaster to the fallen man´s armored neck. The others were equally agitated. 

"Take his mask and helmet off," he heard Leia ask. And Han did so. Luke wasn´t the only one surprised when his face was revealed. They had expected anything but that handsome, pale face, framed by dark brown hair, now matted down with sweat, and the blue eyes regarding them icily. Anything but him being a normal human man. It didn´t seem to fit his reputation. The tableau was frozen for a few seconds. Then Vader shook Han off in one powerful move and rose, kicked the blaster out of the Corellian´s hand and called his own lightsaber back to him. He was staring straight at Luke now. 

The young Jedi Knight took the challenge. With the others giving them a wide berth, the two opponents circled each other for what seemed like an eternity. It was Luke who made the first strike, rushing the Dark Lord, then trying to get under the other´s defence. Vader deflected his blow easily with a twist and side-step, reminding Skywalker of his bitter defeat on Bespin. That memory brought powerful emotions back: fear, hate, anger. Luke thought of Nomi´s bleeding dead body on Hoth, her dead blue eyes staring up at him, and how he had to leave her there. It was Vader´s fault that she had to die, Vader, who had cut off his hand, tortured Han and Leia. With renewed power, Luke attacked again. And saw the Dark Lord´s eyes widen in surprise at his emotional outburst. He was using the Dark Side! Shocked by that unwelcome revelation, Luke didn´t react fast enough when Vader cut at him. The searing pain in his shoulder brought the young warrior back into the present. 

Laughing, the Sith kicked his legs out from under him, making him drop hard to the ground. His jaw rattling from the impact and gasping for air, Luke stared up into the cold blue eyes and saw his death there. Then Han moved, saving his friend´s life yet again. Vader tumbled back, hit squarely by Solo´s blaster bolt, stumbled and fell. The Corellian took aim again and the second shot hit the Dark Lord´s lightsaber, destroying it. That had been the end of the battle. 

Coming out of the shower and dressing, Luke thought of Nomi again. She had been a refugee, a runaway even. The Empire had destroyed her family, she had told him, crying. He had comforted her then, and fell in love with her innocent beauty the moment she kissed him on the forehead to thank him for his concern. He reminded her of her father, Nomi had explained, smiling sadly. He had been a warrior too. And from the way she spoke of him Luke could tell that she loved and admired him deeply. Han and Leia had been happy for their friend. And Leia had even befriended Nomi, though the small, delicate princess and the long-limbed, mischievous runaway made an odd pair. 

Life had been great, despite everything else that was happening. Then Hoth. Somehow Luke knew that something terrible would happen there. It was just a feeling, but Ben had taught him to trust his feelings. When Nomi lay dying in his arms amidst dead rebels and stormtroopers, with alarms wailing all around them, Luke had been overcome by grief. He should have protected her better, should have made her leave on the first transport. But Nomi had refused. My father would stand and fight too, she had told him sternly. Of course Luke knew that she could handle weapons, but still. Still it had been a mistake. One he couldn´t make undone anymore.

In his dreams, Darth Vader was a young man again, newly wed to the beautiful Andra. They had been a happy couple. He could remember her long flowing hair, a silken black and soft to the touch. How he had loved to curl those long tresses around his fingers, always admiring her beauty and strength. Then she had fallen ill. So ill that no treatment the medics could offer would be able to save her life. There was one cure though, the buthan plant´s leaves , which grew only on Alderaan. Alderaan. It might have been in another galaxy for all the chances they had of obtaining it. But Darth Vader knew he must try to get the plant, or else he would loose his one true love forever. And their child with her. The Jedi had caught him on Alderaan. He hadn´t resisted their taking him prisoner. It would only have made matters worse. On Coruscant, facing the Jedi Council again, only Obi-Wan Kenobi had stood for him. In a passionate speech he had defended his friend, selflessly risking the Council´s wrath. But in the end it had been the Rebublic Chancellor´s intervention that saved the Dark Lord´s life. Palpatine had chosen the moment well. The Sith´s anger at the Council was making him blind to the other´s plans. And before he even realized it, Palpatine had him trapped.

After Hoth came the training on Dagobah. Still burning with the desire to get at Vader and hold him accountable for Nomi´s death, Luke had asked Master Yoda how he could defeat the Dark Lord. Yoda had looked at him pensively for a long time. "Easy is not defeating the Sith Lord. Cunning he is and resourceful. A lot of training you need, before anything you can do. But this remember, Luke: either kill him or leave him alone. No capture there is with the Dark Lord." Well, that had been proven to be untrue. They had defeated and captured Vader in one go. Yoda would be proud of his student. Still beaming, Luke went to the scheduled meeting with Admiral Ackbar. 

"Ah, Luke," the Mon Calamari greeted him, when he entered the Admiral´s office, "I hear that Lord Vader does feel better." 

"I am not so sure, Admiral. But there is something about what he said that I wish to investigate until we reach Dantooine." 

"What would that be?" 

"He said something about the Jedi, that I didn´t know them the way he did. I think that Master Yoda will certainly help me with that, but I want to interrogate Vader again before we pick him up. If you allow it, sir." 

Ackbar leaned back in his chair and regarded Luke thoughtfully. "It is not a question of allowing, or not, Luke," the Admiral finally answered,"It is more a question wether you can hold back your emotions enough to not provoke him like that again. I needn`t remind you that we have no means to block his access to the Force." 

"He is still too weak to use it." 

"If you say so. Well. Alright. But tomorrow, Luke. Today I think you should relax and cool down." 

Cool down? Luke thought angrily, as he stormed from Ackbar´s office. How can I cool down with him this close. All I want is to kill him. Nothing else. Luke was brooding all evening and couldn´t sleep well in the night. Instead he thought back on their encounter on Bespin. Vader had had Han and Leia tortured, thereby luring Luke to him. Master Yoda had told his apprentice that going now would be foolishness, but what was Luke to do? Let his friends die? So he had left nevertheless, although even Ben had tried to caution him. Yes, Ben had appeared from the grave the Dark Lord had put him into, to warn his student. Beware the Dark Side. That sentence still hung in the air, when Luke finally faced the monster in the carbon freezing facility in Cloud City. The hot steam clouds whirling through the chamber had been distracting. Equally so the Sith Lord´s mechanical breathing. Vader had stood there atop the stairs, calmly waiting for Luke to come to him. And he had, foolish as he was at that time. 

The ensueing battle had been a game of cat and mouse, with Vader the silently stalking predator, lightning fast and brutal, and Luke the confused prey, who barely managed to escape, let alone defend himself. Vader´s anger, that was what he remembered most vividly that night. That uncontrolled fury had been more frightening than the ease with which the Dark Lord threw loose parts and heavy machinery at Luke. And his silence. Only when Luke finally lay defeated on the gangway above the bottomless abyss in Cloud City´s interiour, had he spoken. His harsh words still rang in Luke´s ears, as if he had only said them yesterday: Now you will pay for your foolishness, Skywalker, just like your father before you. Then he had struck, cleaving Luke´s right hand off, laughing at the younsters terrified expression. My father. You killed my father! Luke hugged his pillow hard, resisting the nearly overwhelming urge to kill that monster right away. Instead he remained wide awake, staring into the darkness of his cabin, his eyes burning with hatred.

Mara Jade had been openly surprised to see Vader cry at his wife´s funeral. He could still see her there, a young woman, her bright green eyes staring at him curiously. Apart from her only Palpatine attended the funeral service. The two of them had taken their positions at one end of the funeral pyre atop which Andra´s white-clad body lay, whereas her husband stood next to her head, also dressed in white. Holding the ceremonial dagger in his right hand he briefly considered burying it in Palpatine´s chest. But that would not bring his loved ones back. It would only bring more grief in the end. So he clenched his jaw tight and drew the sharp edge over his left palm, painting Andra´s face with the ancient funeral symbols in his own blood. When he was finished, he lit the pyre and stood back, waiting until only ashes remained. 

Staring down at them he recalled standing like that before, on Hoth, where he had buried his only child. She had run away just after the first Death Star had been destroyed, and both he and his wife had been happy for her. At least she was free. Even if it meant that now Vader would never be able to meet his wife alone ever again. He had found Nomi´s broken body in the ice caves of Hoth, amidst dead rebels and storm troopers. When he told Andra via holocom that her child was dead, she had told him that he had lost her trust and love. He had felt her sudden resolve, begged her to not do it, threatened even, but was powerless in the end. She had broken the connection and killed herself only minutes later. Vader had been devastated. And angry. He had known from the moment he saw Nomi´s pale face, that Luke Skywalker was responsible for her death. It didn´t come as a surprise that she had chosen the young Jedi. Her lovers always tended to be a reflection of what she wanted her father to be: Noble warriors, fighting for lost causes. And he had let her down. Skywalker had let her die. 

Vader had tried to repay the Jedi on Bespin, but failed. From then on he hadn´t really cared about the Empire´s struggle anymore. When Palpatine sent Mara Jade to Tatooine to kill Skywalker he wasn´t surprised. The Emperor didn´t trust him anymore. Vader had lost nearly everything that chained him to the throne. He was ready to die himself and only the meanest threats could bring him out of his suicide fantasies. So Palpatine sent him to oversee the second Death Star´s construction. It was a risk, yes, but if Vader didn´t want to risk everything, he would behave. And he did. 

"What are you doing here?" The young man turned around, his face a ghostly shadow in the dim lights of the hallway. Everyone was supposed to be asleep on the ship except for guards or technical personnel. Luke Skywalker though could not sleep at all. He was eying the guard coolly, then made a dismissive gesture: "I am just walking around, nothing to worry about." But the guard wasn´t this easily fooled. His eyes flicked towards the security door further down the hallway and when he turned back towards the young Jedi he held his blaster rifle tighter. 

"Admiral Ackbar´s orders were specific," he began nervously. 

"Specific? What orders do you mean?"

"He said I was not allowed to let you go anywhere near here without him knowing." 

"Did he now," Luke replied flippantly and frowned at the steel door beyond the guard´s shoulder. "There is only one of you? And the Admiral thinks this sufficient?" 

"Apparently."

"Very well. I will talk to him personally." 

"Now?" 

"Now."

Darth Vader stood at the security door, his head cocked to one side and eyes half closed, listening. It was, he thought, a pity really that the guard had intercepted Skywalker before he could reach him. Too bad. He sighed. He shouldn´t be thinking of revenge now. The boy had reason to hate him and he was not the only one. But then, he had reason to hate Skywalker too. He smiled to himself. The young Jedi was still far from being a Knight and there was much he had to learn. Maybe he could teach him a lesson or two. Imagine that, the last of the Sith teaching the last of the Jedi.

But first he had other things to do. Back on Endor he had surrendered to his will for self-destruction, but he was growing restless and impatient. Why had Solo not simply killed him? It would have made things so much easier. Now Vader was stuck here, waiting for a trial and execution, while he could be doing something useful. Yes, useful. The picture of a dead planet flashed before his eyes, all life destroyed in one vengeful moment. He would have to go there eventually, he knew, and honor the dead properly. His eyes misted over with unbidden tears, but he could not shut those feelings out, could not make this picture go away. Suddenly though his face became grim. Someone would pay for all this. Someone, that was, except for himself. And Luke Skywalker was near the top of the list. But not first priority. Not yet.

Luke pounded his fist against the ship´s inner hull furiously. So, Ackbar would not permit him to...to. Well, it had been a stupid idea anyway. Walking down the hallway the young Jedi tried to calm himself. There is no emotion, there is peace, he told himself and took a deep breath. No emotions. I wish I could forget everything, he sighed inwardly, but almost immediately he remembered Nomi´s face, pale even against the snow, her bright blue eyes, shining with an inner light as she drifted towards Death. 

"Luke", she whispered. "What?" he asked softly, trying to tell himself that she wasn´t dying. "Luke," Nomi repeated and smiled up at him, laying a hand weakly on his forearm, "Promise me." - "Promise what?" - "That you will not tell him." - "Tell who?" Her eyes broke then and a dark shadow dimmed their lights forever. Numbly he let go slowly, bedding her head on the white ground cautiously. Tell who? Her father? Luke shook his head angrily. Why would she ask something like that? She loved her father. And he didn´t even know who he was, so how could he tell him? He did not even know where she came from. Too many secrets. Far too many.

Back in the present Luke had stopped walking and stood now alone in the darkened hallway. The shadows suddenly had become threatening and he quickly retreated into the safety of his own quarters. He hated the darkness. There were nightmares waiting for him there. Nightmares and memories. And he couldn´t decide which was more unpleasant. 

Sitting cross-legged on the metal floor of his cell Darth Vader was meditating. His wounds were nearly healed and any time now the rebels would realize that they had made a mistake in being so lax with security. He permitted himself a tight smile. When he felt someone approaching, their minds focused and determined though, he rose quickly, frowning. What had happened? The door slid open and he straightened, regarding the two newcomers coolly. Luke Skywalker returned his gaze with open hatred, but Admiral Ackbar was not so easy to read. What was he hiding? He had been Tarkin´s slave once. If he knew...

The third visitor though caught his full attention before he could ponder this thought further. Bent over his walking stick the ancient Jedi Master had a presence that was very hard to ignore. "Master Yoda," he acknowledged his old teacher, his voice grave. What was this about?

"Sit down, you will," the other replied coldy, but Vader would be damned if he followed any order of this relic. So he remained standing until he realized that this kind of defiance was more than foolish. 

Frowning at the tiny alien who regarded him calmly out of moss-green eyes, he finally held out an arm invitingly: "Why don´t you take a seat too? I could imagine that it would be less strenuous for you than keep on standing there in the doorway." Yoda snorted loudly, but started walking into the cell and hopped onto the bunk. The Dark Lord again took his seat on the floor. That way their heads at least were level with each other. Vader smiled, but the smile didn´t last long, for Skywalker and Ackbar did not leave, as he had expected. Instead they too sat down, next to the Jedi Master. All three of them were facing him now and he could not help but feel like a defendant on trial.

But surely Master Yoda would want to keep his secrets too? After all, he had a young student to impress. Composing himself into a more graceful posture, his back very straight, the Sith regarded the threesome calmly for some time. The silence lasted only for a few moments though, before Admiral Ackbar spoke: 

"You may wonder at the reason for this visit, Lord Vader." He didn´t answer. "No? Very well. As I am sure you are aware of, we are on our way to Dantooine. Where you will be tried." Still no reaction. What was he after? "But first there are some questions to be answered, it seems." 

"A confession, Admiral? I did not realize that one was needed." 

"Will you answer our questions?" 

"No."

"Lord Vader, there is no reason why..." 

"I said no. There is nothing that I would say to you." 

"Well, I have tried. I will leave the three of you alone for now." 

Standing up the Mon Calamari shook his head once and strode towards the door that opened for him. Vader followed him with his eyes, taking in what he could see of the hallway. A lot of guards today. He should have known that they would monitor his healing progress very closely. Eventually he became aware of the Jedi´s eyes boring into him and turned his head back to face them. Setting his jaw he prepared for what was most certainly to become a battle of wills.

Yoda could feel the wall of hatred and anger build between Luke and Vader the longer they remained silent. And since the Dark Lord was preoccupied, the ancient alien half-closed his eyes and concentrated, letting his mind slip unnoticed between Vader´s mental shields.

There was a lot of anger there, as expected, but the most overwhelming feeling was that of incredible loss and grief, which was so strong in fact, that Yoda flinched back as if physically struck. The Dark Lord´s eyes whipped towards him and narrowed dangerously. "Don´t do this again," he warned the Jedi Master softly. "Do what?" Luke demanded, glancing accusingly at his teacher, and the two older beings shared an exasperated sigh. 

Yoda frowned at the young Jedi who subsided quietly, then turned back to face Vader. Of course he had known of the bonds that Palpatine had fastened on the Sith Lord. It had been the whole reason why he told Luke to either kill Vader or leave him alone. He had not wanted that sort of guilt placed on his shoulders after all. Although it rested there anyway. 

This way though he could pretend that it was not his concern, never had been, since the Sith had been enemies for so long. Every Jedi had thought that way. And they had payed dearly for their arrogance. Vader must have been overjoyed at getting his chance for revenge, had savoured the killings. 

Yoda was the last Jedi Master with only one Padawan left. Two, if the Princess agreed to being trained. Luke was more than willing, of course, but Vader´s presence disrupted the flow of the Force immensely and, furthermore, infuriated and intrigued the young student. Luke had told him that Vader was keeping secrets. Something about the Jedi, something that felt wrong. If he only knew. But that was something the old master wanted to prevent with all the means necessary. Or else the Jedi could never rise again. Not with this weight on them, marring their light. 

But how could he bring himself to take those steps necessary? Hadn´t he hurt the Dark Lord enough already? Here was his chance to make it all undone, to ask forgiveness. But then, had Vader really deserved it? He had killed millions. His crimes were unparalleled. Looking into the tall Sith´s eyes Yoda found they were full of knowing, silent mocking and a profound sadness that made his decision even harder. In fact he was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly jumped when Vader said: "Let me make this easier for you."

Luke´s pupils widened for a second, then shrank back to tiny pinpoints in a sea of blue, before his head bounced gently against the wall behind him. He half-fell to the left, unconscious, his breathing laboured, limbs slack. Yoda managed to overcome his shock quickly and his eyes became dangerous slits of green fire. Holding out his hands he summoned the Force to him to counter Vader´s attack, but the Dark Lord only smiled at him. The old master hesitated: 

"Why?" he asked finally. 

"Because this is between you and me. You want to keep your secrets? Fine. I won´t reveal them, but I expect the same from you." 

"You must understand that, right now, revealing those things could prove fatal." 

"I understand." 

"But I do not want you to die senselessly either." 

"Neither do I." 

"Your plan?" 

"I am sure you can guess." 

Nodding gravely, Yoda bent over and touched Luke´s forehead. Not looking at Vader he replied quietly: 

"Revenge of the Dark Side is, know that you do." 

"I do." 

"Then why?" He could hear the soft rustling of cloth as the Dark Lord rose gracefully:

"That too is a secret." Yoda sighed deeply and turned back to look up into Vader´s cool eyes: 

"Alright then. But I have one condition: You will leave Luke Skywalker alone." He could see the other´s lips twitch slightly, but then the Sith smiled coldly: 

"As long as he does the same." 

"I cannot ask more of you, I know. Will you release him now?" 

"Of course."

"Thank you. We will reach Dantooine in six standard hours. May the Force be with you, Lord Vader."

"And with you too."

Waking apruptly, Luke Skywalker opened his eyes wide. He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling of his cabin, feeling the soft mattress underneath him, and sighed deeply. 

"What happened?" he asked noone in particular, but wasn´t surprised when Master Yoda´s voice answered: 

"Better you feel, do you?" 

"Yes." 

He pushed himself up on his elbows and regarded the ancient Jedi in silence for some time. What little he could remember was clouded, but he knew that he had blackened out somewhere along the conversation they´d had with Vader. "Let me make this easier for you," the Dark Lord had said. 

Make what easier? One thing was clear though: Both Vader and Yoda were keeping secrets. Which prompted the question: Did they know each other´s secrets too? And Luke did suspect something like that. 

"We have reached Dantooine an hour ago," the Jedi Master stated calmly, interrupting the young man´s thoughts politely yet firm. Luke started: 

"Really? Why didn´t you wake me earlier then?" 

He swung his legs off the edge of his bed and immediately a wave of dizziness swept over him, making his head spin. 

Yoda smiled at him: "Reason I had, for not waking you." 

"I see." But the alien master just shook his head.

It was then that alarms began wailing throughout the ship, making Luke jump. "What´s happening?" he asked and frowned. Yoda cocked his head to one side and seemed to listen to some inner voice: "Vader," was all he said and all Luke needed to hear. Suddenly wide awake he raced over to the chair where his belt and lightsaber lay, grabbed the weapon and made for the door. Which didn´t open. He turned around to glare at his teacher, but the Jedi Master simply sighed: "Calm, Luke, you need to be." His student nodded once and closed his eyes, letting the Force soothe his nerves. Only when he heard the door glide open did he reopen them and walked out of his cabin with measured steps. Yoda was right, of course. There was no point in just charging into the mess. He had to know what was going on first.

Darth Vader was calmly waiting in the shadows of the hangar bay, eying the three x-wings standing two meters away with an expert eye. Not bad, those ships. He had never flown one, but he knew that they were highly maneuverable, fast and, above all, equipped with a hyperdrive. Just what he needed. Slipping between the three ships he scanned the area and found noone paying attention. He had to move quickly now. The lock mechanism was easy to override with a little help from the Force and only minutes later the fighter´s engines were roaring loudly in the warm-up phase. Now it was going to get tricky. Technical personnel was seeking cover while the guards ran forward to meet the theoretically still unprotected ship. But their shots were deflected by an invisible Force shield. Still, Vader was glad when the real shield went on-line. He needed his concentration elsewhere now. When finally open space took his ship into it´s wide embrace he let out a deep sigh. It was time to go home.

The flight was long and the Dark Lord spent most of it in a trance, knowing full well that this visit would cost him both mentally and physically. There were no dreams in hybernation and he was thankful for that. Nothing to distract him. Nothing to remember. No nightmares. As if real life wasn´t bad enough, he thought grimly, when he finally pulled the ship out of hyperspace. His stomach knotted in anticipation and dread. There it was: Sith. 

He swallowed once and couldn´t stop the tears from falling when he saw the dark brownish surface of what had once been a green jewel of a planet. What was he doing here anyway? He couldn´t change what had happened. Not anymore.

Landing the fighter on the roof of what had been his house when he had still lived here, Vader took a deep breath. He knew what was waiting out there. Palpatine had shown him the high security containers personally. It was a special blend of different chemical gases, which, once released, would wipe out any life on the planet. Everything. 

He reached out to the Force and opened the fighter canopy. An eerie silence filled the contaminated air. No sound at all. It was frightening. Moving slowly he made his way off the roof, into the house. And stopped short when he noticed the first, dried-out body. It´s face was distorted beyond recognition and the Dark Lord swallowed down the bile rising up in his throat. He coughed loudly, shaking his head in disgust. How could anyone.... 

No sense in arguing with himself. He had done this. He had allowed Palpatine to take his people hostage. He had been the one blinded by false promises. And now... He was paying the prize. But he would not pay alone. Oh, no. Revenge was of the Dark Side, yes, but a Sith did not know the difference. As Yoda had known very well when he had appealed to Vader´s Jedi training back on board the Liberty. He had thought about this for a long time. There was nothing he could accomplish by killing those responsible, but it would ease his pain immensely. Which reminded him... 

Quickly walking past the body he went into his former office and found, to his relief, his computer still intact. Maybe there was a way after all. But he could not be sure. Inserting a datacard he called up a special file and read it closely. Apparently he had no choice. He would need some parts to build the necessary equipment, but somehow he would manage. Had to. He owed it to his people, after all. According to his father this ritual had never been performed before, but everyone destined to become Dark Lord did learn about it. Just in case. He grimaced slightly, but finally Vader downloaded the file and tucked the datacard back into his belt. Now, what to do?

Yoda would keep silent about the Sith's history and if he could get the files off the Coruscant mainframe noone would ever remember them. And leave them to rest in peace. He did not want his people´s fate to become a tale to be told on dark, boring nights somewhere in a living-room across the galaxy by people who had never known the Sith, did not care for their culture and what had once made them great. No. They had deserved some peace. Closing his eyes he again saw his wife´and daughter, alive and well, their heads bent close together, both of them smiling. They were talking. Gossiping, most likely. Or talking about him. They loved that too. He smiled, despite himself. Then shook his head. They were dead now, just like everyone else. Just like Merak. 

Vader´s face became grim as he remembered returning from Bespin: Palpatine had received him in his throne room and he had known immediately that something was very wrong. Then Palpatine had broken the news: Merak had started a rebellion on Sith. Merak, his best friend. They had been so close, as if they were blood-kin. And he had betrayed his Lord´s trust. Although Merak officially registered as administrator, he had no authority. Not surprisingly. And Vader had told him repeatedly that he should never ever do anything to endanger their people. 

"I am regretting this," Palpatine had told him quietly and shown him the holos of prison camps, which had been erected as if by magic. For a moment the Dark Lord had wondered if they had been there all along, without his knowledge. "Where is he now?" he had asked coldly, truly feeling nothing. Not even when he had killed his friend with his own hands.

It had been a long time before he could once more experience true emotion after that. And strangely it was Luke Skywalker who made him feel alive again. That insolent boy. There was something about him. Vader could not place this feeling, but he knew that the young Jedi would play a not so small part in events to come. Well, as long as he stayed out of his way...

Luke Skywalker was heading back towards his x-wing, trying to stay covered as much as possible. The storm troopers fleeing the military complex on Gyndine were panicking and shot nearly literally everything they laid eyes upon. Shaking his head grim-faced the young Jedi huffed a sigh. What had been supposed to be a surprise attack had turned into a mess. When Rogue Squadron had first arrived onplanet, with Alliance cruisers engaging the two star destroyers in orbit around the planet, they had been met with little resistance. Until a huge explosion had sent the white-clad soldiers pouring out of the facility blindly, scrambling for safety. 

"Luke!" Turning around he squinted at the man squatting not far away in the shadow of an upturned AT-ST. That was another things. All the heavy machinery had been smashed and now littered the huge exercise yard of the complex. "Stay covered!" Luke shouted back at Corran Horn who simply shrugged and pointed. Following the other's gaze Luke could just make out a flash of black on top of the building, before the middle of the yard exploded in a shower of hot metal and duracrete. Frozen in place he unconsciously reached out towards the source of the destruction. 

Vader. Cursing silently Luke tried to get a better glimpse at the man standing like a god of war overseeing a battle-field, but he was careful not to draw the other' attention. To no avail. Luke's heart skipped a beat when the Dark Lord turned his face down to look straight at him and smile. Giving the young Jedi a curt nod he vanished back into the fortress. "Corran!" Luke shouted and sprinted towards his friends. "Get to your x-wing. We have a Sith to catch," he hissed and threw a last look back, "What are you waiting for?"

Running the last meters towards his ship Luke was already talking into his commlink: "Yes, you heard me. How are the star destroyers? Good. We will try to intercept him. Over. Artoo! Power up the engines!" Using the Force to leap up to the cockpit hatch Luke completely missed the dark shadow crouching on the ship's wing opposite from him. "Going somewhere?" Rising gracefully Darth Vader aimed a kick at Luke's face, prompting the other to fall back. A laser bolt whizzed past the young man's shoulder, missing Vader by inches. 

"A friend of yours?"

"You bet."

"I urgently advise you to stay out of my way, Skywalker."

"Never."

"Very well. This is your only warning. There will be no other should we meet again."

Pushing Luke off the ship the Dark Lord ripped Artoo from his perch and vanished into the smoke that was rising from the burning complex in billowing black clouds.

"Luke, what happened? Is he gone?"

"Not yet. Give me a hand here, will you."

"Sure."

Making his way to his own ship Darth Vader was fuming. He should have killed the kid here nd then. But he had practically promised the boy's master to spare his life. Laughing quietly he shook his head. Well, if Skywalker died Yoda could always train his friend. He had been surprised at first when he had felt not only the young Jedi's presence, but another one besides. Two students. If Yoda took his chance. In Vader's mind that were clearly two too many. Yet, he had given his word and he would not interfere. Besides, he had other things on his mind. The trip to Gyndine had turned out very well. He had found some of the parts he needed and he would get the rest on the next trip. And once the device was finished he would make a last run through the enemy territory before making his leave. That was, if nothing unexpected crossed his plans. But he could deal with any surprises as and if they occured. That he was certain of.

Luke kept his senses alert, relying more on the Force than the radar read-outs. Artoo was still grumbling in the background, trilling and sighing on his lonely perch. Well, he should be lucky that Vader had not simply crushed his hull. Or his master's head, for that matter. Why had the Dark Lord spared his life at all? Why the warning? Luke had the bad feeling that this too was part of the secrets Master Yoda harbored. 

"Hey! Are you asleep over there or what?" Corran's voice had a nervous edge to it and shocked Luke out of his own dark broodings. 

"What?"

"Man, Luke, he's right behind you!"

And really, his radar was beeping like mad. Why had he not sensed him before? Because he was shielding his presence, came the immediate answer from a small voice in the back of his mind. Of course. Veering sharply, Luke tried to catch the larger craft by surprise, but Vader was handling his ship as if it were a fighter. And to the young Jedi's surprise he did not attack. He was simply clawing his way further into open space, clearly only intent on leaving. "Okay, Corran, let's go and get him."

The two x-wings' laser volleys were straining the shields immensely, but Darth Vader had no doubt that they would hold out a while longer. At least until he had safely jumped into hyperspace. Dancing his ship gracefully through the enemy fire his only concern was his precious load. Although the attack on Gyndine had been easy he had still risked a lot. This time the Imperial troopers had been surprised, but word would spread soon. Not that this would help them much. He smiled cruelly to himself. They would pay. As many as he could find. He pulled the hyperdrive lever and closed his eyes. 

Loosing himself in the swirling dreams of vengeance he recalled the soldiers' fear, their panicked screams, the feeling of triumph he had experienced and savoured. They were his to punish for all that had been done to him and his people in the name of the Emperor. For all the pain he had endured and the loneliness that held his heart chained to a wall of ice. Only his enemies' blood could ignite the flame again that would give him the strength to fulfill his deepest desire. And once his own blood embraced the realm of life and death he could finally be free again.

When Luke and Corran returned their fighters to their assigned landing bay aboard the cruiser Liberator the young Jedi was fuming. "Hey, it was not our fault that he got away," his friend tried to soothe him, but that brought no relief: "No, it was mine. I should have been more careful." Corran simply shook his head and took the lead. "Hey, what was that about?" Corran turned around, one eyevrow arched coolly: "I just think that your being a Jedi does not automatically give you an advantage over the likes of him." Luke pouted indignantly: "But it should." - "Then i suggest you train harder," Corran bit out angrily, "You should go back to your Jedi Master instead of flying around with Rogue Squadron." Astounded at his friend's outburst Luke stopped: "Am I really acting so bad?" Sighing, the other pilot clapped his shoulder: "It's just constructive criticism. Go and become a Jedi Knight. We need you."

Dropping off the tall metal fencing Darth Vader landed noiselessly in a crouch, his blue eyes half-closed to guardsafe them against any sudden light that might blind him otherwise. Nothing moved out of the ordinary in the still night of Carida. The guards had just changed and he had made short work of them. It would be some time until they would have to report in and until then everyone would have realized the threat in their midst. He had chosen this place for obvious reasons: not only was the Imperial Academy of Carida the symbol for the Empire's might, but also the supposedly best-guarded world next to the capital itself. If he succeeded here his glory would be great indeed. If indeed.

Stalking through the shadows he cloaked his presence skillfully, but there was no way he could fool any heat-sensors without slowing his metabolism. And that would be the most foolish move. 

Darth Vader was well aware of the danger he was facing. If he died here he would have accomplished nothing. And that is why I will not fail. Grim-faced he strode towards the entance he had selected for ist obvious qualities. It was not guarded at all and the lights did not reach it very well. But it undoubtedly was protected by alarms. Well, he could deal with that too. 

It was two hours later and alarms were howling their warnings into the night air with deafening volume. Shouts and screams added to the gruesome cacophony of death and destruction. But the Dark Lord was unfazed by the noises and feelings permeating the fortress. His mind was focused deeply, and his concentration did not even falter when a laser beam seared his shoulder with roaring fire. Crushing his attacker with ease he brought his own weapon to bear. It had not taken him very long to construct a new lightsaber. Although finding the crystals needed had been quiet difficult. This one was a special version for a special occasion. He smiled when he ignited the twin beams of the double-bladed lightsaber, their cold blue light bathing the hallway stretching before him in an eerie light. The soldiers assembled at the far end took a step back as far as that was possible. He had not had to employ the weapon before, but he was feeling his mind tire. Killing with the Force required far too much concentration. 

Advancing slowly he nevertheless kept track of the three soldiers crawling overhead through one of the ventilation shafts. Vader closed his eyes briefly and shut down one of the blades. It did take a supreme effort but it was worth it. A wall of hardened air closed the distance to the soldiers waiting in the hallway while the blue beam cut upwards, tearing through metal and bodies alike. Growling softly the Dark Lord shook himself, shivering with fatigue. He had to get out of here. And soon.

Jogging along the now deadly silent corridor he rounded the far corner, ignoring the bloody relief now covering the wall. There was no one around when he finally got out of the fortress. But in the distance he could hear the whine of heavy machines and star fighters. It was definitely time to leave. But he could be sure that his work here had left its imprint on the Force. And that had been his major goal here all along after all. Darth Vader permitted himself a tiny smile. One more target and then he could start working on the ritual device in earnest. 

His ship was packed with different parts of machinery from all over, and he knew that he would have to drop some of the load off before he began the next attack. Evading the Imperial warships was easy and he made it out of the Carida system in no time. A few jumps later he finally landed his craft on the landing pad of what had once been the Alliance Headquarters on Yavin 4. Fitting, wasn't it, that he should return here to end what the Empire had begun. And to give the Rebel Alliance another victory. He did not particularly care about that aspect, but it came to his mind nevertheless and reminded him of the other task at hand. Yoda. He would have to find the Jedi Master soon. Together they could work out a plan. But that would have to wait until Vader had accomplished the first part of the ritual. Three sacrifices were needed and two had already been made. 

Now he also needed to erase any information the Emperor might have kept on the fate of the Sith. And the place to do that was Coruscant. The crowning glory of the Galactic Empire. An attack on that planet would serve three purposes: to delete the files, humiliate the Imperial Navy and give the Rebels a good head-start. The last was so important because it was one token he could play should the ancient lizard refuse to help. The other one was Skywalker.

Stepping deftly into the giant structure of the Great Temple of Yavin 4 he could still sense the presence of an ancient sacrifice, but it tasted impure. Darth Vader shook his head in disgust. 

His father had told him about the Dark Lord Exar Kun who had abandoned the Sith to make a last stand against the Jedi hordes. But his selfishness had only ended in disaster. Glory was not something to crave when one had shouldered the responsibility of leading and protecting a people. And forgiveness was not to be expected when one had failed, he thought ruefully.

Darth Vader touched the cool walls in bitter-sweet memory. The greatness of Sith had long ago fallen prey to the Jedi and the internal fighting of the Lords. He himself was a warrior, true enough, but his priority had never been personal gain and power. Maybe he had learned that from the Jedi. And maybe it was just the fact that he had been brought up to take his father's place as leader. He never had had to fight for that position or the power he possessed. And now the battle had ended even before it could begin. Bowing his head towards the sacrificial dais at the far end of the Great Hall he sank to his knees slowly. "The Gift of Life," Darth Vader whispered, "does lie in the Hands of Death." 

He felt the other presence materialize not two meters away and opened his eyes angrily. The tall man standing opposite from him, his ebony skin glistening in the moonlight falling through the skylight overhead, wore a cold smile on his lips. Without saying a word he started circling the kneeling Dark Lord, eyeing him up and down. Taking up his previous position he folded his arms in front of his chest. 

"There is some truth to those ancient words, young one," he told Vader finally. The other man snorted contemptously: 

"What would you know about the Sacrifice of Life, Exar Kun?" 

Kun's smile deepened before he shook his head slightly, his long hair swinging behind him like a black cloak: "The Shanda Ritual is meant for battle. As a last resort. But you have nothing to lose, Lord Vader." 

Raising his eyebrows coolly the younger man rose gracefully: "You are right. In a way. But on the other hand there is so much to gain, is there not?" he added and turned away. 

"You are a fool. You could wipe your enemies off the face of this galaxy and yet you chose to misuse the Shanda for this foolishness. For nothing." 

Whirling around Darth Vader lashed out at the other Sith, flinging Kun's spectre against and through the far wall: 

"Nothing!" he bellowed, furious, "You selfish creep! Our people are dead because I failed. It is my duty to at least honour their deaths properly." 

Reappearing in a safer distance Exar Kun growled softly: "They were no warriors, Vader. And revenge is so much sweeter than mourning, so much more rewarding. You cannot bring them back. But the Sith can rise again." Frowning slightly the Dark Lord cocked his head to one side: "What do you mean?" Next to Exar Kun the image of a familiar youth popped into existence: "He is so full of anger, so full of vengeful thoughts and dreams. He can be an easy prey for you." 

Darth Vader grimaced in disgust: "He is weak." 

Kun laughed softly: "And you hate him. I see. But he has potential. You have to admit it." 

Shaking his head fiercely the younger Sith took a deep breath: "My mistake, my decision. The Sith expect retribution. And they will get it. You can play with Skywalker once I am gone. But I made a promise to his master. And I will honour that, just as I honour the vow to my people." 

Turning around to leave, Darth Vader ignored Exar Kun who whispered softly: "Who is the fool now?"

Covering his nose with his right glove High Admiral Torlok's face twisted in disgust as he surveyed the destruction before him. The dead bodies of hundreds of troopers had been laid out in neat lines across the Academy's exercise yard. A quarter of the troops stationed on Carida. A quarter! And then there was Gyndine, too. Waving an aide to his side Torlok gestured over the gruesome lines: 

"Do we know who did this?" The aide hesitated: 

"We do have the recordings of the security cameras." 

"No identification?" 

"Not yet, sir." 

"Then hurry, man! I want to know how a single - a single! - man could get in here and leave unharmed, not to mention wipe out half of the planet's polulation!" 

And I want to know why, he added to himself as the flustered aide left hurriedly. After the Emperor's death every warlord powerful enough was vying with his former comrades for the Empire. But there were also the Rebels to take into account. And whoever was hunting Imperial soldiers for fun. Torlok did not know exacty who that might be, but he did have a certain suspicion. And should his suspicion turn out to be the truth he might be able to turn this madman into a weapon for his own ends. If. And for that eventuality he needed to be prepared.

TBC


	2. The Prize of Anger

Plot: What if Vader wasn´t Luke and Leia´s father after all, but the real Dark Lord of Sith

Coruscant. Breathing in its lush air, pregnant with the foul taste of corruption and intrigue, Darth Vader felt a tiny smile creep onto his lips. He had not been here in quite some time and he had not missed this prison at all. Why should he? Everything that had held him here was gone. His family, his people. Palpatine. The memory alone rekindled his fury and as his right hand curled into a fist he directed all his anger effectively on one point. With a tiny sigh the power currents feeding Coruscant's great body died. The Dark Lord smiled. Picking up his pace he swept into the darkened hallways of the Imperial Palace, unseen by panicking executives and save from prying electronic eyes. Of course this also meant that he could not use anything mechanical. In theory, that was. 

Since all turbolifts had been rendered useless he used the great ventilation shafts of the palace to gain access into the lower areas. They had their own power generators for emergencies like this one. Naturally they also had a lot more guards. Kicking in the fencing seperating him from a brightly lit hallway Darth Vader dropped into the high security complex. He took a look around and reached out with his mind to get a feel on the place. Finding his target did not prove too difficult and as he walked forward measuredly his ears picked up the distant wail of a siren. More alarms began to sound and he knew that the Rebel Alliance had taken their chance. Good. 

It had not been too difficult to get this vital information to the Rebel High Command and although he had been unsure about wether they would be inclined to believe their luck he had not really cared. After all, he did not need their help in this. Dispatching of the guards running to intercept him easily Darth Vader finally dropped into one of the chairs in front of a tall monitor. The main frame. Typing in his codes he waited for the system to acknowledge him. It did in the end and he proceeded, searching for Palpatine's secret files concerning the Sith. When, after some time, he finally found them, he could not but read them. Maybe it was just morbid curiousity, but reading those files blinded his eyes with a red haze of hatred. Despite that he forced himself to read on. Palpatine had had this planned for a long time. And he himself had been so naive back then, so foolish. Ruefully he thought back on Exar Kun's words. He was a fool in many things, he knew, but that would not prevent him from at least paying his debts to his people. 

Finally, with bombs already detonating in the building above, he prepared the files' transfer. Another explosion rocked the building and the ceiling very slowly started to cave in. Darth Vader frowned. This deep down the danger of being crushed, should the palace collapse, was very high indeed, but the Rebels would be fools to let this precious source of information go to waste. Still, he could not stay here forever. Hastily deleting the files the Dark Lord straightened from his work station and shut down everything. In the heat of battle and conquest noone would care for his presence. And even if they knew that he was here, the Rebel and Imperial troops had each other to deal with. Darth Vader made his way back into the upper levels deftly, highly concentrated to not get near any of the more intensive fighting throughout the building. Actually he was impressed by the speed with which the Rebels pushed the offensive. A bit too fast maybe.

To his great surprise soldiers came running towards him as he entered the third level above the gound, not shooting blindly as Imperial troops might, but highly disciplined and very alert. Blending into the wall Darth Vader let them pass him. But before they had rounded the far corner one man at the end of the column turned around and frowned. Unseen the Dark Lord scrutinized the other's face and almost immediately his memory supplied a connection: Skywalker's friend, X-Wing pilot and above all Force-sensitive. As the man started walking back into the hallway, ignoring the impatient calls of his comrades, Darth Vader was unsure wether this made him very courageous or extremely stupid. "Anyone here?" the Rebel called softly, his eyes constanly searching and tracking. Finally he stopped, staring out of one of the hallway's viewport. Vader followed his gaze and almost laughed when he saw his own face reflected there, next to the other man's. Of course. The fact that sentients could not see him did not automatically mean that he was invisible. 

"We seem to have reached an impasse," the rebel told him lightly, but the Dark Lord simply shook his head: 

"No. I rather believe that you have reached a dead end, my friend."

Corran Horn mentally kicked himself for that stupid comment. Here he was, trapped in a deserted hallway with that damn Sith and he had no way of calling for help. Actually, he realized, he had no chance of surviving at all. That was, if Vader had not suddenly gotten all kind and sentimental. Fat chance of that ever happening! Watching quietly he saw the Dark Lord detach himself from the wall and walk towards him. Corran tried very hard not to think of anything at all. I am not here, I am not here, he was telling himself over and over again, hoping against hope that this might distract the other. And when Vader suddenly looked at him in surprise Corran knew that he had won. Dropping to his left knee he brought his blaster rifle to bear and started firing even before the target lock reached the Sith. The Dark Lord reacted immediately, but instead of moving out of the way he bent towards Corran and snatched the weapon out of his hands. Corran's mouth dropped open and he remained on the floor, completely shocked. When the Dark Lord's gloved hands reached out to take his head into his hands he started shivering with a sudden cold. 

"Impressive," he heard Vader murmur softly and then he smiled! 

"Yeah, sometimes I even surprise myself," Corran shot back hoarsely and tried to jerk his head away. But the other held him tight. 

"What is your name?"

"Horn. Corran Horn."

"I have never met a Jedi called Horn." 

"Yeah, did you ask all of them for their names before killing them?"

"I did not have too, Horn. I knew them all."

Corran swallowed hard: "You knew them?"

"Courage and temper. An intriguing combination, Horn. You would make a nice gift for an old friend of mine," Vader told him and chuckled softly.

"Really? Great!"

"But he would have to teach you manners first."

"Nah, my wife already tried that. It doesn't work."

This time the Dark Lord broke into a roaring laughter. Letting go of Corran abruptly he took a few steps back and turned away. The awful sound of breaking metal told Corran that his blaster rifle had not survived. But I have! he told himself, truly amazed. Just the he heard the pounding of boots as part of his unit rounded the corner. "What happened?" one of them asked, incredulous. Picking himself up from the floor Corran dusted his clothes off and stared down at his shaking hands. "Nothing," he replied, "But tell the fleet that they should keep their eyes open for any ship trying to leave." The comm officer nodded at him: "Consider it done. And what are we going to do?" Turning around Corran gave him a brittle smile: "Let's go hunting."

The next morning saw Coruscant firmly in the hands of the Rebel Alliance. Here and there the fighting went on, but the majority of the planet had turned decidedly more peaceful. Corran had been up all night and helped in securing the Imperial Palace. He had not found Vader again. And that was just fine with him. No Sith, no worries. Now, stepping off the shuttle which had brought him up aboard the Liberator he was looking forward to some rest. "Hey, Wedge," he called over at the dark-haired man standing with a group of officers not far away on the deck. Wedge Antilles turned around in surprise: 

"Corran. Back so soon? I thought you had a Dark Lord to hunt?" 

"Apparently he has decided to lie low for now," Corran sighed and brushed a hand over his eyes tiredly. 

"Not as low as you might wish." Turning around quickly Corran nodded at General Rieekan, who strode towards the small group purposefully: "Fighting just has been reported in the South of the city. There are only Imperial troops involved." 

Wedge frowned: "And they are fighting who?" 

The general gave him a tight smile:" That is what you will investigate. Commander Antilles, I want you to take Rogue Squadron over there and check it out." 

"At once, sir."

They flew in low and Corran was actually grateful for the sudden surge of adrenaline when a stray laser bolt splayed over his shields harmlessly. But at least it did wake him up. Just as the General had told them there were only white-clad strom troopers assembled in the small square underneath. No, not a square, Corran realized, it was a courtyard. Looking around over the city his breath caught in his throat. Of course. "Rogue Leader, I think we will have to do some house-breaking." Over his head-comm he heard Wedge chuckle. "Alright," the commander told them finally. "Let's go help our dear neighbours."

They landed their ships on the flat roof of the fortress and Corran immediately spotted the torn circuitry of what once had been the alarm systems of the great building. Following Wedge and his comrades over the roof he risked a glance over the edge down into the courtyard. Dead and badly mutilated bodies littered the grey flagtiles and white armour flashed almost everywhere. But he could just make out the black blur mowing mercilessly through the rows of troopers, blue blades flashing. "Wedge, we better hurry!" he called ahead hoarsely and trotted after the others. They pounded down the outer stairs, trying to keep their eyes on possible dangers, but the Imperials were too intent on staying alive to pay much attention to the Squadron moving in. 

"Move back!" Wedge bellowed suddenly, his voice rising over the din of screams and curses. The troopers, well-trained to obey orders, retreated towards one end of the courtyard, and waited uneasily for another command. 

Wedge, shaking his head, led his small contingent down into the yard, obviously hunting around for any officer. But Corran's eyes were fixed solely on the tall warlord standing at the opposite wall of the yard. He did not know why but somehow he felt himself drawn to Vader and started walking forward, until the Dark Lord moved towards him a few steps, holding his lightsaber in a cautious guard between them. In an instant the Corellian pilot took in the feral gleam in the other's blue gaze and the distinctly absent expression on his pale face. He's in some sort of trance, Corran realized, his eyes flying open wide in surprise. With a small scream the truth hit him and he scurried back towards the squadron, waving at Wedge to get his attention: "Get out of here!" Corran started shouting when he could breath properly again. Turning around once he saw Vader bare his teeth in a silent snarl: "Now!" Corran yelled and finally the spell broke.

Luke was watching Master Yoda closely when the ancient Jedi Master's head came up suddenly, a displeased expression on his face. He gave his apprentice a short, questioning glance, but apparenty Luke was not aware of what was going on. The immense flow of power connecting three planets and focusing on a fourth was all but lost on him. Well, maybe that was for the best. There was no telling what Luke would do should he find out what Vader had done. Not that he himself liked it either. He had already told the Dark Lord that he would not let him die senselessly and what he was doing now felt as if the Sith was going to push the limits and even go beyond. Foolish, foolish. And reckless. What he was planning was too much for him to handle alone and Yoda was certain that Vader would come to seek his help. Which he could not grant him, under no circumstances. The Jedi were guardians of life, true, but he would not risk the Sith to rise again either. It was difficult to decide which was right and which wrong, but Yoda knew that they could only survive if they managed to work together. Looking over at Luke again he shook his head sadly. Those two together... Well, eventually they would lay their differences to rest. At least that was what he hoped. 

Corran was running for his life, hard on the heels of the last storm troopers. Behind them an angry roar filled the courtyard, then something slammed into the wall, and by the sound of it it was cracking it in several spots. "Go, go, go!" he shouted, not so much in concern for the Imps as for himself. When he had finally managed to get into his X-wing he heaved a deep sigh.

"Corran, do you know what was going on there?" Wedge asked suddenly over his head-comm.

"He's gone mad, is what I think. We better let him leave if he tries to."

"I am not sure if Command will sanction that."

"Then let Command deal with him. Corran out."

Despite the trance Darth Vader was very aware of what was going on around him. He could feel the power of the Darkness fill him to bursting and a profound, serene peace enveloped his mind gradually. The killing was at an end. Gyndine, Carida and Coruscant - all three planets had been seleceted for the only reason that they formed a triangle pointing towards Yavin 4, the moon he had chosen for the ritual. Now was the time to leave.

Mara Jade was bent over her commpad and stared at the message flashing on her screen. It was encoded, but unfortunately she knew that code very well. On one hand she was curious, on the other she was certain that this message meant trouble. She should never have tried to hack into the mainframe. Finally, after a long time staring out of her ship's viewport Mara decided to take the risk. After all, she had also taken a risk leaving Coruscant in the middle of the rebel attack. Working her way through the code Mara sat for hours until she had managed half of the message. It apparently consisted of a package of files. Hesitating again she decided to let the program run on its own for now while she took a break. Walking out of the cockpit into the galley she prepared a hot drink for herself and made her way to her cabin. Curling up on the small bunk she heaved a deep sigh. The Emperor's death had shocked her at first, until she realized that she had lost more with him than just her employer and mentor. The Empire was losing and she would be damned if she got crushed when it fell. She liked to see herself as a survivor and she would make it through this too. For the time being she was drifting, true, unsure of where to go, but she had a feeling that she might want to try Nar Shadaa. 

When suddenly her ship lurched with a heavy thud, making her spill her drink over herself and the bed-sheets Mara cursed heart-felt before racing into the cockpit. Staring out of the viewport, her mouth hanging open, she could not believe at first what she was seeing. She had accidentially stumbled into a battle. In the distance a Star Destroyer and an Interdictor Cruiser were facing a small fleet of transports and two corvettes. "Shit," Mara whispered, groaning inwardly. She dropped into her seat at the controls and turned her ship around carefully, keeping an eye on the radar showing her the cone of the interdiction field that had ripped her ship out of hyperspace. And knew that she would never make it when the familiar dots of TIE fighters appeared on the radar. They were with her in seconds and tried to herd her back towards the Star Destroyer. Mara knew better than to pick a fight with them. Not with more and more streaking towards her with each passing moment. And what was so bad about this anyway? 

Maybe this was her second chance. Maybe everything would be alright again. She laughed mirthlessly. Yeah, right.

"Stand down your weapons," a harsh voice ordered her over the comm. 

"Sure." 

Complying grim-faced Mara leaned back and let the Star Destroyer's tractor beam do the work for her. This was madness. She had no idea what was waiting for her on board. But for now she really had no choice. Well. Choices could be made and remade at any time.

He had never been to Dagobah before and there had been several reasons for that. One of them was waiting for him in the large clearing he had made his landing-site. The ancient Jedi Master was bent over his ever-present walking stick, his huge, moss-green eyes unfathomable.

Walking towards him slowly Darth Vader tried to convey to his opponent a sense of peace. Not that he had to do much for it. He was completely calm. On the surface at least.

"Meet again we do," Yoda said finally, giving him a short nod.

"Indeed. I think you know why I am here, don't you?" Again a nod.

"Come."

Following the Jedi Master in a respectful distance the Dark Lord let his senses grow accustomed to the overwhelming presence of life force on the planet. It was a power not unlike that of Yavin 4, but different too. Darker, deeper. It was hard to describe. Yoda led him to his very humble homestead, a small hut made out of wood and mud. Vader was astounded. And the Jedi noticed it too. An amused smile formed on his lips as he shook his head slowly:

"Unexpected this is?"

"Yes. Frankly I had expected something grander, more like the Jedi Temple on Coruscant."

"Hard to build alone, for myself alone," Yoda reminded him ironically and the Dark Lord knew exactly that he did mean something else entirely.

"I will not make any excuse for my actions, Master Yoda. You knew what was coming at you."

"Really. And did you?"

That shut him up. Of course he had not been aware of Palpatine's scheming. Else this would never have happened. After a lengthy silence he decided to try his luck nevertheless:

"I need your help."

"Yes. Felt it I did. Foolish it is. Risky."

"But we can-"

"Help you I will not."

"Will not," Vader repeated slowly. What had he expected? "I see."

"No reason for a dispute this must become," Yoda said suddenly, warily.

"No. You are right. Not with you. I understand, I think. But I must ask you not to interfere."

"Lord Vader. Know the ancient saying you do, told you often enough I have. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate-"

"Leads to suffering," the Dark Lord interrupted him coldy. "I know all that. And I do not care. I will do this with or without you." 

"Then ask you to leave I must."

"Of course."

"Take care."

But Darth Vader did not answer.

"Master?" 

Turning around Yoda saw Luke standing there, looking bewildered.

"Was that Vader?"

The master nodded slowly, heaving a deep sigh. When his student raced past him, intent on catching up with the Dark Lord, he stopped him short easily. 

"Stay you will."

To his own amazement Luke complied. Dropping to the muddy ground he looked at the ancient Jedi tiredly: "I know that you two are harbouring some secret. You might as well tell me now."

Yoda shook his head: "Not my place it is."

"Master, what did he want from you?"

"My help."

"Your help?" Luke seemed surprised. "But why?"

"He-." Closing his eyes Yoda hesitated. When he opened them again they were full of sadness: "Desperate he is. For reasons that need concern you not."

"Master, please," the young Jedi practically begged. He had had enough of all this. All he wanted was some clarity. Why was his master inclined to pity Vader when at the same time he refused to give him his assistance? Why had Vader come to his enemy at all? Finally the ancient alien seemed to have made up his mind. He shook his head again, with determination this time:

"Foolish he is and angry. Go to him you will."

"Go to him? Me? Why?"

"The source of his anger you are, Luke. Make your peace you must."

"But why did you let him go just now?"

"The time, not right it was."

"I do not understand..."

"You will, Luke. You will."

The young Jedi left the same evening, heading for Yavin 4. Technically Yoda was well aware that he had betrayed the Dark Lord's trust. But he could also feel that Vader was consumed slowly by his own hatred. Sending Luke now would catch him off-guard and maybe Luke would have a chance to make him listen. Yoda had been able to rid the boy of his own anger concerning his father's death. But even though he was quite certain that Luke had not forgiven the Sith yet he could not defend Vader either. That he had to do himself. And he sincerely hoped that his apprentice would not be too late to give them both that chance of peace. 

Mara stepped out of her ship onto the polished deck of the great warship's hangar tentatively. A contingent of storm troopers was waiting for her, not unexpectedly. She had sent over her codes to the Star Destroyer's commander before landing and the reaction she had anticipated had not come to pass. Unfortunately. It was frustrating, really, to not being taken seriously. The troopers led her towards the bridge and Mara tried to appear cool and composed. In reality she was scanning her suroundings closely. Not many soldiers were about, and with the battle still going on she could understand that well. Rounding a corner she found herself on the lower bridge and froze. The man bent over the battle display was familiar. His powerful body clad in an olive uniform he made up for his lack of height by an overwhelming arrogance. Former governor Torlok of Corulag raised his head to smile at her coldly. 

"The Emperor's Hand herself. An honour," he said, straightening fully. Mara did not care to return his smile. He hesitated before he continued: "And what brings you out this far from the Core?"

"The same reason why you are here: the Rebellion, what else?"

"Of course. I heard that Coruscant had fallen."

"Yet you were not there."

"Noone could anticipate that they would dare attack the capital so soon."

"No?"

He shook his head and there was a sly glitter in his eyes: "They had some help, I believe."

That got Mara's attention: "What kind of help?"

"It is just a suspicion."

Suddenly she remembered the files she had intercepted, the ones with that very special code.

She groaned inwardly. Everything pointed in one direction, it seemed. But why? Torlok nodded grimly, seeing that she understood:

"There were attacks on Gyndine and Carida. Someone, a single person reportedly, wiped out the majority of the troops stationed there. Do you know who I mean?"

She simply nodded. Vader. Of course. That still did not answer the question of what drove him though. The way Mara remembered him he had been absolutely loyal to Palpatine. On the other hand her master had not told her everything. Another memory surfaced: a funeral. Vader's wife. She had killed herself shortly after the battle of Hoth. A victory for her husband and yet she had chosen to take her life. He had cried over her dead body and Mara had been astounded at the sudden emotional outburst of the usually so very cold Sith. Was there a connection maybe? 

"I have been able to glean some files from the mainframe. They are - special," she explained finally. His head came up sharply:

"Special? In what way?"

"The Emperor's personal journals, or part of them, at least," she added, keeping in mind the relative small size of the message.

"Good. Very good. Then we shall get to work immediately. If we can find out why he is doing this we might be able to direct this madness elsewhere."

"At the rebels?"

"Exactly."

Stalking the silent hallways of the Great Temple on Yavin 4 the Dark Lord had made it very clear that he did not wish to be disturbed by anyone, especially not by Exar Kun. And so the spectre kept his distance, even though Darth Vader could feel him lurking not far away, waiting. Immersed in his dark broodings he did not realize where he was going until he had reached th temple's roof. He stood underneath the starlit nightsky, surveying the jungle laid out before him, listening to the calls of the creatures hunting out there in the dense undergrowth of the forest.

With the Jedi Master's help he would have been able to turn the Shanda ritual another way, turn its destructive power into something else. But that chance was gone now. He thought back on his last discussion with Exar Kun, on how the ancient Sith had lectured him on the ritual. It was meant for battle, and the circumstances he found himself in now where different from what was seen as the ritual's traditional setting. Very much so. But he had nothing to lose. Setting his mouth in a tight line he decided to wait no longer.

Exar Kun was hovering next to the dais, and if he had been anyone else he would have been hopping from one foot to the other. But, being a Sith Lord, he simply wore his disapproval plain on his dark face. Darth Vader ignored him completely. He had made the last adjustments to the ritual device and now stood back to study his handiwork for the last time. The sleek construct hung over the single stone slab like a raptor, its fifteen talons ready to sink into its victim's flesh. 

"You will not change your mind then?" Exar Kun asked finally, his voice hard and angry. 

"No," the other replied and turned away to seek his place in the middle of the Great Hall. The spectre followed him but remained in a respectful distance. 

"You know that I do not approve."

"And who asked for your opinion?" the Dark Lord shot back and settled down on the cold floor to meditate. It was imperative that he enter the ritual sphere cleansed of all distracting thoughts and emotions. Kun folded his arms in front of his chest and frowned: 

"I cannot believe that you are giving this chance away for the dead. They have no use for your sacrifice. They do not care."

Taking a deep breath the other man closed his eyes: "I made this promise to myself. And additionally, it is my duty. I have studied the Sith lore, something you seem to have forgotten over the milennia. There is a code of honour for us, you know?" 

Exar Kun snorted in disgust: "Honour! Lord Vader, honour is all good and well as long as one is alive. Dead, it is not worth anything. I wish you would realize that at last." 

"I know what you mean, believe me. But there truly is nothing I could gain that would be worth more to me than what I have lost. Can you understand that? I doubt it, so spare me an answer and a lie. Just leave me alone."

"As you wish," Exar Kun sighed finally and vanished.

Exhaling slowly Darth Vader let go of his anger at Kun's lack of understanding, and instead opened his mind wide, listening to the echoes of the Force surrounding him, letting them lull him into a peaceful trance. For a long time he again let the reasons for his decision pass his inner eye and they still made as much sense to him as they had back on Endor. He had lost his family and he had lost his people. All of his life had been dedicated to them and now that they were gone he felt empty and useless. Kun had repeatedly tried to convince him that he could fill this emptiness with sweet revenge and he had, for a while. But he could still feel the wound where his connection to the Sith had been partly severed. And he longed to set them free, to cross the distance and join them again. Forever. 

Rising slowly he walked towards the sacrificial dais and lay down on its cold surface, feeling the touch of stone underneath him. "Activate," he told the control unit calmly, then closed his eyes. The whirr of servo-motors filled the chamber with a low humming noise and Darth Vader felt the cool blades reach for him almost tenderly. The first cut came as a surprise, but not long after he had gotten used to the rythm between cuts and rests. It was, he thought, like a complicated melody and he was straining to anticipate each move, to join the flow more deeply and to focus his thoughts on a greater level. Finally his mind transcended the body and the Dark Lord reveled in the breath-taking sight of the universe, reading the patterns of the stars like letters to a grand poem telling the beginning and the end.

He could hear the Darkness humming with the silent song of eternity, saw the Light dwarfed by the night encompassing everything, marking the passing of years and decades. The life of Light was short, seconds only, threatened to be overwhelmed by Darkness at any time. And the most beautiful harmonics of the song were lost on the Light, as it feared the untold secrets hiding in the gloom of Darkness. Blinded by its own being the Light fell prey to weakness and retreated into the safety of ignorance. So much knowledge, Darth Vader thought, sighing inwardly. 

"Too much for you, perhaps?" Exar Kun's voice cut cruelly into his trance and broke his concentration. With a scream the Dark Lord came awake, but was clear-headed enough not to try and rise. "Careful, careful," Kun mocked him and smiled cruelly at the other's pain. "You!" Darth Vader hissed and turned his head slowly, "How dare you disturb me now!" The other shrugged: "There are intruders breaking into the temple. They are headed this way." The Dark Lord's eyes widened in surprise as his shaking mind caught the presence of strangers not too far away. "Deactivate," he snapped at the unit and immediately the blades retreated. Rising slowly Darth Vader shook his head groggily. "You might want to put on some clothes," Kun reminded him pleasantly. Vader snorted something, then wiped the blood off his face. 

For a while he tried to gather his senses, then moved over to pick up his long cloak. That should suffice for now. But Kun was shaking his head: "If you think about fighting them now think again. You are far too weak. Look at you." It was true. The dizziness holding his head prisoner spoke volumes. "How far..." he began slowly, but suddenly his tongue felt too heavy to speak. "Halfway through, by my estimate. Not life-threatening yet, but close. Go. Hide. And don't let them catch you." Growling under his breath Darth Vader realized that he really had no choice. It took a supreme effort to dress himself, and his hands were shaking as he ripped his cloak to pieces to wrap long bandages around the deeper wounds to staunch the bleeding. He was losing too much time he knew, and when he looked up towards the entrance his frown deepened. Too late to run. 

Luke Skywalker stood frozen in place and simply stared. He could feel the team gather behind him and Corran at his side. He had picked them up on his way to Yavin, well aware that he could not face the Dark Lord alone. Now though he realized that bringing them here might have been a grave mistake. All eyes were fixed on the tall man standing at the far end of the chamber on bare feet in a spreading pool of blood. Darth Vader was dressed in his usual black uniform and make-shift bandages bore testimony to his cloak's fate. Two cuts were slashed down his face, bloody stripes running from his hairline straight down over the inner corners of his eyes where they angled diagonically outward to end abruptly halfway across his cheeks. Luke could easily guess that the source of the Dark Lord's injuries was the strange construct erected over the dais on the platform behind him. Its sharp blades were gleaming underneath a coating of blood. 

"Yuck! Look at that, will ya!" Corran exclaimed in disgust, breaking the spell. Luke started at the sound of his voice and threw his friend a hard glance. Corran simply shrugged and raised his blaster rifle at the Dark Lord's chest. Walking forward slowly he gave the sign for a mutual advance on the Sith. Vader had not moved at all. He was simply waiting, his mouth drawn in a grim line. 

"Lord Vader!" Luke called and waited for the other to acknowledge him. The Dark Lord gave him a pained smile: "We meet again, Skywalker. Didn't I warn you? You and your friend." Here he gave Corran a meaningful stare. The Corellian simply shrugged. "And what do you propose to do? You are injured." Vader laughed silently. "But far from defenseless," he answered and coughed labouriously. Luke winced when he wiped a tiny trickle of blood from his mouth. It was this gesture that shook them all off balance and the Dark Lord made his move instantly. 

Lashing out with the Force he slammed a wall of air into the team, sending them flying. All except Luke, who had had shielded himself beforehand. Breaking into a run immediately he lunged at the Dark Lord. Vader met him half-way, closing his hands around the young Jedi's neck. Boosting himself up Luke grabbed the other's bandaged wrists and squeezed hard, flipped over the other's head and drew him along. When the Sith crashed onto the stone dais Luke thought at first that he had broken his back. Vader had his eyes closed tightly, seemingly in great pain. Taking his chance Luke threw himself bodily over the other man, holding him down. "Come on, give up. You cannot win this," he hissed between clenched teeth, trying to fend off the other's attacks at the same time. Suddenly Vader ceased his struggles and for an endless moment two pairs of blue eyes met. Then the Dark Lord's face turned into an ugly mask of fury. "Activate!" he snarled and pushed Luke upward with all the strength left to him.

Corran picked himself up slowly, and shook his head to losen his daze. But when he looked up he saw Luke already moving towards Vader, tackling him. The Dark Lord bounced hard onto the stone platform and Luke tried to hold him down. By then Corran was already running towards them, intent on helping his friend. But to his horror the construct's blades suddenly moved into a complicated pattern and stabbed down, one by one, as Vader levered himself off the dais, using Luke's body as a living shield. "Watch out!" Corran hollered, but too late. Luke's scream rang throughout the great chamber as the blades reached him. Bringing his rifle to bear Corran's expert eye spotted the construct's control unit immediately and one shot destroyed it, stopping the knifes in mid-cut. With a thump Luke dropped back to the platform, his body limp. He did not move at all. "Luke!" Corran shouted in dismay and hurried over to his friend's side, nearly slipping in the pool of blood. Jumping onto the dais he stood over Luke protectively, his eyes searching for the Dark Lord who must be hiding behind the stone platform. But there was noone in sight. 

Closing his eyes tightly Darth Vader tried not to breathe at all. He did not look up when Corran Horn jumped onto the dais and he kept his mind blank as to not give himself away to Skywalker, who unfortunately was still alive. "Hey, Sikes," Horn called, "See if you can get the memory chip out of the control unit. Then we can blast this damn thing." Lying helpless on the cold floor tiles Vader bit his lower lip in frustration, trembling with rage and fatigue. He had worked so hard for that device! But if he died now nothing would have been gained. Nothing. So he kept silent and waited some more. 

After destroying the ritual device the Rebel team went searching the chamber for quite some time, but they could not find him at all. Finally they retreated again, undoubtedly to search the rest of the temple. "I owe you," Vader told Exar Kun grimly as he pushed himself up on his elbows, shaking his head dizzily. The spectre flowed out of the wall into the chamber, hovering above the fallen Dark Lord like an avenging ghost. And in a sense he was. "I told you that this was foolishness," Kun snorted. "Just shut up," Vader replied angrily and took a deep breath. "Get up," Kun commanded coldly after a while." No need to have you die of a blood infection now." Turning away the spectre did not wait for the Dark Lord who was getting to his feet unsteadily.

They made an odd pair walking down the now deserted corridors of the temple towards the turbolift which took them down to the deepest level. The stone underneath Vader's feet turned colder and he started shivering. Steadying himself against the wall he tried to focus on keeping upright and walking on. Still, he felt as if he would never make it. Finally Exar Kun stopped, studying the younger Sith speculatively: "You will survive. Just relax now. And think about what I have told you." 

They had reached the entrance to a low cave filled with a sharp, sulphurous scent. Nearby water could be heard slapping softly against the rough stone. Steam was rising off the dark pool's surface as the stars shone brightly through a crevice overhead. Darth Vader stared at the water grimly. Then, undressing slowly, he closed his eyes, trying to relax, just as the other Sith had ordered. Finally he slipped into the pool, suppressing a pained scream when the scalding heat closed over his open wounds. The water would disinfect them, he knew, but would also leave some ugly scars. He smiled. No. Not ugly at all. 

For a long, long time the Dark Lord let his body float in the pool's warm embrace, forgetting everything around him for a while, even Exar Kun, who patiently stood watch over him. Instead he let his thoughts flow freely, chasing themselves across his mind, and reflecting in the distant stars. Kun was right. He had been foolish. He could not bring his people back, and his own death would not change their fate. Still guilt wreaked his consciousness, reminding him of his failure to protect those he had loved. The thought of Andra, and Nomi, dead in his arms. Skywalker. He would pay after all. He and his friends.

Agitated by the thought of his revenge Darth Vader grabbed the edge of the pool, heaving himself out of the water. There was too much to do. He could not allow himself to rest now. And he could heal as he went along. Reaching out for his clothes Vader suddenly found his way blocked by Exar Kun. The Dark Lord took a step back, frowning at the spectre whose dark face bore a fascinated expression of childish wonder. Kun reached out slowly to trace the long gash running from Vader's mid-riff straight up towards and over the right collar-bone to vanish around the Dark Lord's right shoulder. Parallel to the scar smaller ones curved softly across his right breast in a delicate pattern, reached out to snake over his right arm and down to his wrist. 

When Exar Kun touched him Darth Vader flinched back from the ghost's deadly coldness, but rallied himself immediately. "The beginning," the ancient Sith Lord whispered in awe. Almost timidly his spectral fingers brushed along the two scars running up both sides of Vader's neck, and the single one along the breast-bone. Looking down he studied the calligraphy cut across the other's left leg, climbing up in a glorious maze of scriptures until it ended in another long scar running up to the left side of the Dark Lord's ribcage. 

"And the end," he added, smiling in satisfaction. "A shame. I would have loved to know all of the poem's words." 

Darth Vader snorted contemptously. "Had you been willing and courageous enough you now would have all the knowledge the Darkness has to offer." 

"And I would be dead," Kun replied amiably, "As you would be now."

TBC


	3. Darkness and Light

Plot: What if Vader wasn´t Luke and Leia´s father after all, but the real Dark Lord of Sith

On board the Rebel corvette in orbit around Yavin 4 Corran was bent over Luke Skywalker's limp form, shaking his head: "The things you do, kid," he sighed and straightened again. "Will he be alright?" 

Looking up at him the 21B-droid gave him a reassuring nod: "He will heal." 

"Yeah. Sure. Luke, can you hear me?"

"What happened?" the young Jedi mumbled tiredly.

"He's gone, Luke. And I don't want to know what he is planning next."

They had been so close to capturing Vader, so close. But what had happened inside the Great Temple had shaken Corran too. The Dark Lord's burning eyes had etched themselves into his memory and he knew that he would never forget the look of hurt and betrayal he had found there. Although Corran did not pretend to have understood what exactly Vader had been doing there, he still remembered the strange construct's blades reaching for Luke hungrily, eager to draw more blood. Had the Sith tried to kill himself? A ritual suicide? Well, it had certainly looked like one. And good riddance too. Unfortunately it had not worked out. Vader was gone, vanished somewhere, and they had other things to do than turn the whole planet upside down to find him again. And Corran was sure that the Dark Lord would resurface sooner or later. Definitely.

Exar Kun was pacing the length of the Great Chamber restlessly. Safe for the moon shining through the skylight overhead the room was plunged in total darkness. And in the gloom the last Dark Lord of Sith was sitting cross-legged on the floor, meditating. He did not pay any heed to the ancient Lord's mood, and his silence was getting on Kun's nerves. "How can you be so calm?" he hissed, coming to a halt in front of the younger man. Darth Vader opened his eyes slowly and their cold depths reflected the dark spectre of Exar Kun like a mirror of memories long past. The greatness of Sith was like that, nothing more but remembrance, a dream that seemed forever out of reach. But they had a chance now, to regain all that. All hope rested on the Dark Lord's shoulders, and a heavy burden it was. Exar Kun smiled at the other's stony expression, at his effort to control the wild current of darkness that had replaced his very being. That sheer, raw power of most exquisite destructive potential, a hungry beast waiting to be released. The Shanda. The blood-rage, as the ancient ones had called it. 

It was a dark fire that would consume anything in its path and it required a strong mind to guide 

it. Exar Kun knew that Darth Vader had an iron self-control, but he lacked the shields to protect his mind from being overwhelmed by the torrent. He had been weakened by too much pain, an agony that he had not managed to embrace as a part of himself yet. If he did not want the Dark Lord to go insane he would have to focus his senses elsewhere. Reaching out the ancient Sith caressed the other's face gently, tracing the scars running over his forehead light as a feather. When his fingertips touched the younger man's cheek-bones he saw the Dark Lord flinch. With a cold smile Exar Kun drew his hands over Vader's temples, increasing the pressure on his skin slowly. 

"Hold still," he whispered, concentrating, and waited for the other to acknowledge his presence and accept his touch. "Listen to me. There are those who want the Sith to perish forever. They are weak and full of arrogance. They do not deserve to live as long as there is one ounce of fight left in you. You will avenge the Sith, the way you wanted it all along. You will make them pay. You will make them tremble with fear, make them cower with dread. You are the Dark Lord of the Sith, and you will be victorious." Smiling in grim satisfaction he sought the other's gaze and their eyes met across the millennia that seperated them. 

"You are a fool, Exar Kun," the Dark Lord said coldly. A low hiss escaped the ancient Sith's lips as he drew his hands away with a snarl marring his ebony face. "But you are right. I will make them pay dearly." Darth Vader's blue eyes narrowed dangerously: "They will never be safe again."

Mara crossed her arms in front of her chest, watching Torlok closely. He was smiling at her smugly and she did not like his expression at all. "Please, take a seat." She walked over to sit down on the chair in front of his desk, not bothering to hide her dislike of him. But Torlok apparently was not fazed by her hostility at all. Without waiting for her he continued: 

"I have reviewed the files you gave me and they are very interesting. Did you have a chance to look at them yourself?"

"Not yet. I was still busy decoding them when we met."

"Ah. A pity. Did you know that Darth Vader was trained by the Jedi? In addition to his own training as Sith Lord, that is."

She nodded: "Of course. He taught me a few things too."

"Really? And did you also know that his daughter fled Coruscant shortly after the destruction of the first Death Star?"

"I knew that she had left, yes."

"Any reasons why?"

"Frankly, I did not care."

He smiled at her: "Maybe you should have taken more of an interest in our precious Dark Lord. According to these files he did not serve the Emperor entirely out of his own free will."

"What do you mean?"

"This is curious. Apparently Palpatine did not tell you everything, or else you have a remarkable acting talent."

"What did you expect? I knew what I had to know."

"I see, of course."

"So, what was that about Vader?"

"See for yourself," Torlok answered, turning his datapad's screen toward her. 

Mara leaned forward in interest, a slight frwon appearing on her forehead. It took her some time to go through all of the entries, but in the end she leaned back, deadly pale.

"Devious, isn't it?" Torlock commented gleefully.

"And if it's true we have no chance of gaining his trust."

"I am certain that it is true. And the fact that the files were sent from Coruscant the same day the capital was attacked tells me that he did not want the Rebels to know either. Whatever his motives may be, I think it is clear that he wants to keep the past secret."

"But why? If he made this public he could save his life."

"I don't think that is what he wants."

"Then what is it he desires? Do you know?"

"Actually I want you to find that out."

"What? Me? Why me?"

"I am quite certain that he does not view you the same as he does the rest of the Imperial military. As you said, he evne taught you. Gain his trust and bring him to me. After all, we have something that belongs to him."

"That is a dangerous gamble."

"No more than any other."

Luke stood next to Corran and stared at the huge holodisplay stretched across the far wall of the medical ward. Two images were displayed there next to each other. One showed a star chart, the other a strange pattern of criss-crossing scriptures. Along with the two pilots a team of scientists was assembled throughout the ward. They were conversing quietly and somehow Luke felt slightly out of place. What they were talking about was as alien to him as gardening, having grown up on a moisture farm. And he knew that Corran felt the same. So the two men kept on studying the images pensively. The data had been found in the memory chip of the construct they had uncovered on Yavin 4. And even though it had been examined in detail for three weeks now the images and coordinates still remained an enigma. Luke frowned deeply. Over the past days random attacks had been reported to the Military Command on Coruscant and half of them were said to have been carried out by the Dark Lord. Apparently the Sith had decided to keep on fighting despite the defeat on Yavin 4. The young Jedi shook his head gravely. He himself had recovered from his injuries just fine, but he was not satisfied with his accomplishment. Master Yoda had wanted him to get Vader to listen, not to make him even madder than he was already. But somehow Luke felt that he could not have changed a thing anyway. Whatever the Sith was going through, he was not yet ready to accept help. Maybe he believed that he did not need any assistance, but to everyone else his actions seemed as irrational and inexplicable as that of a madman. 

Which was why they had to get to the bottom of this under any circumstances. It had been clear from the beginning, from the encounters on Gyndine and Coruscant, that the Dark Lord was not to be trifled with. He had proven time and again that large odds did not frighten him. Luke smiled at that. Just like a certain Corellian he knew. 

"Commander Skywalker," one of the scientists called and snapped the Jedi out of his broodings.

"Hm?"

"We have prepared the presentation."

"Great! Can you activate it?"

All of a sudden the star chart began to blink with red and green dots. Red for Imperial targets they had learned of, green for Alliance facilities the Dark Lord had destroyed. Corran shook his head and sighed:  
  
"Nothing, no obvious pattern there. Or do you see something?"

"No," Luke answered softly. "But maybe it is just not that obvious. And perhaps there is not pattern behind his actions."

"Then what are we going to do?"

The young Jedi straightened to his slim height and nodded with grim determination: "I will track him down. I will need the coordinates of the last sighting, my X-wing and all the help I can get."

Corran laughed. "Sounds like you really want to go Sith-hunting, kid. But maybe you would reconsider? I mean, the last time you barely escaped with your life."

"Then I will have to try a different approach."

"Luke!"

"No. This I must do. Master Yoda said so too."

"Then you are committed?"

"Yes."

"May the Force be with you, Luke." Stepping forward Corran patted his shoulder amiably, but Luke caught his wrists and sought his emerald gaze easily. "What-?"

"Corran. Promise me one thing: go to Dagobah and find Master Yoda. If I fail ... You will be our only hope."

"Aw, come on Luke, our only hope is for Vader to run across a Destroyer's lasers."

"Promise me."

"Mirax will hate you for this."

"Sorry about that, but when I'm back you can make it up to her."

The Corellian sighed. "I am telling you again: this is foolishness."

"Yes, I heard. Give my regards to Master Yoda."

Corran shook his head at Skywalker's retreating back. The kid was mad, almost as mad as Vader himself. But perhaps he was right, in a way. The Corellian had met the Dark Lord back on Coruscant and he had been lucky to escape with hs life. And he still did not know why Vader had been onplanet at exactly that time. The Sith had escaped detention back on Dantooine and had vanished for quite some time. Now though he was back and worse than ever, it seemed. Corran did not know where he had been so far, but he did not really care either. To him Vader was a dangerous criminal who needed to be brought down as fast as possible. As an investigator he had to ask himself, of course, what motives the Dark Lord might have for his actions, but so far there had been nothing. The strange thing was that he had started attacking Imperial worlds first and only after the incident on Yavin had he started to attack the Alliance too. The Corellian started pacing the length of the room pensiveley and his eyes were drawn back time and again to the images displayed on the screen. Suddenly he stopped and squinted at the star chart.

"Can you display the targets in chronological order?" he asked quietly. The scientists stared at him, but after a moment's hesitation the one at the display controls complied. So, Gyndine, Carida, then Coruscant. Yavin had not been attacked, of course. Vader had tried to kill himself there, for reasons unknown. Surely not because he had not seen any other way to escape his hunters. Taking a step closer Corran mentally drew a triangle between the first three planets. One corner pointed straight at Yavin. He drew a sharp breath. "See that? Can you give me the coordinates of any planet in that corridor?" Immediately the computer started spewing out data, but Corran did not have the feeling that any of those worlds where important to the Dark Lord. Then something caught his attention. "This one."

"ST-0923? That one's been charted a thousand years back. Doesn't seem very interesting." 

"You telling me that noone's been there for a millenium?"

The scientist shrugged: "Who knows? People don't sign a guestbook when they go there, I guess."

"Who charted it?"

"Let's have a look. Ah, here it is. Master Uloana."

"A Jedi?"

"Is it? I have no idea. Could be."

"Too bad the Emperor destroyed all information on the old Jedi." The Corellian frowned. "But I know someone who might be able to provide a bit more information. Can you give me a copy of those files? The star chart and the scripture."

"Sure. Where are you going?"

"Another one of those uncharted worlds," Corran replied with a grin. If anyone knew about this it would be Luke's Master Yoda. And on his way to Dagobah he could study the images again. 

Rising from his crouch Darth Vader threw a cool glance at the soldiers huddling against the ruined fortress walls for shelter. It was exhiliarating to command this sort of power and he found that he could not get enough of it. It had become the air he breathed, all that he knew. There was no turning back anymore. With a mirthless smile he stalked toward the destroyed facility, flexing the fingers of his hands in anticipation. They were helpless against his onslaught, but they still clung to their weapons like drowning men holding on to a straw for help. Vader shook his head in disgust. He had warned them explicitly by attacking only military targets. They knew what and who he was after. And yet they had made no attempt at changing anything. No, they had continued to increase their defenses, had sent more troops and weapons to what they perceived as strategically important facilities. He would destroy them all. Just as they had destroyed his world and his people. Striding grim-faced toward the anxious crew the Dark Lord felt his anger rise ina glorious fire that built to a thunderstorm of pain and grief inside his heart. Frowning slightly Vader hesitated. In theory he knew very well that there was noy way for him to avenge a genocide. And yet he did not want to listen to those reasonable voices that whispered to him soothingly. All there was for him was the sweet taste of rage racing along his veins. He lunged at the soldiers with a furious scream, forgetting everything around him instantly, lost to revenge and hatred. Just at the edge of the battlefield an ancient spirit kept a close watch over him, smiling to himself in satisfaction. But even though Vader was aware of the ancient one's presence he pai him no heed. This was his fight, after all. And he would allow noone to interfere.

Yoda sighed. Luke Skywalker had failed miserably. But he should not mourn this passed chance. There would be others. Looking up at the dark-haired man seated across from him the Jedi Master sighed deeply. Corran Horn was a trained soldier who had difficulties wrapping his mind around the physically inexplicable power that was the Force. But maybe it was fortunate that the pilot was as of yet untainted by Vader. Contrary to Luke he did not have this bond of hatred that connected him to the Dark Lord. He had a healthy ego and was much more realistic than the young Skywalker. Which was also good. But still, they had a long way ahead of them. And in wa way Master Yoda was glad that he had the chance to train two students. If Luke survived, and he sincerely hoped he would, he would be an accomplished knight and the future of the Jedi would be secure. The Dark Lord on the other hand had to cope with his people's extinction, and the Jedi Master understood that he was desperate. He wanted to help him, but on the other hand he was very afraid. Vader was bitter and he had his own views on how the Sith should fit into the galaxy. And his dreams meant nightmares for others. Well, it was far too late to change anything. In a horrifying way Yoda was even glad that the Sith had perished. But the danger they represented was lingering still.

The Jedi Master shuddered at the memory of what Corran had reported of the events on Yavin 4. Even though he was not versed in the rituals of the Sith it was clear to him that the Dark Lord had wanted to die badly. But something must have changed his mind. Something or someone. The old Jedi Master did not like at all that this shadow was beginning to move across this galaxy again. But he could sense the darkness and he knew that he would have to do something to prevent its advance. And yet, he was still stuck solid in this dilemma. If he wanted to affect anything the Jedi would have to change, as well as the Sith, to ensure the survival of both orders. Which was exactly why he had sent Luke on Vader's trail. It was a gesture of goodwill, an offer of a truce, and he sincerely hoped that the Dark Lord would take it. He was a reasonable man, he would see the futility of this senseless crusade in the end.

"Master Yoda?"

"Hm?"

"Master, are you certain that Luke will be allright?"

"Worry not you should. Compassionate they both are."

"You must be kidding. Vader, compassionate? Sorry, Master," Corran added, embarrassed.

"Understand you will in the end."

"But not now, right? That's okay. I can wait."

"Doubt that I do. A detective's mind you have. Solve this puzzle you want to."

"Yes, sorry. I shall work on that."

"Need that you do not. But learn you must new understanding of the world around you."

"Yes, Master. One last question: if Luke manages to calm him down, what will happen to Vader?"

"The Force will decide."

"Watch it!"

The warning came too late and the soldier who had sounded the alarm died instantly, neither the first nor the last to fall prey to the Dark Lord's blade in this battle. Darth Vader moved purposefully through the surprised troops he had found stationed on Sullust. New Republic troops or Imperial, he did not care anymore. Both had betrayed him in their very own way although he found that he hated the New Republic even more for destroying his only chance at appeasing the ghosts of his people back on Yavin 4. He had sworn to make them pay and since then he had been on the move constantly, hunting for prey. The Shanda was raging through his veins like fire, allowing him no rest, but through the red haze of vengeance and fury that filled his mind he could see himself weaken gradually.

But that too was part of the ritual. 

Exar Kun had taken great delight in telling him just what he had risked by his foolish enterprise and finally he had had to admit that it had been a mistake to waste his energy on the Shanda at all. Unfortunately there was no way to turn back the effects of the ritual. He had to see this through either way. Mowing down more of the soldiers opposing him the Dark Lord's face turned into a snarl at the memory of the ancient Sith Lord's glee. There was something about Kun that he did not care for at all. He was as devious as a viper and had less honour than a Gammorrean. 

Vader shuddered as he remembered the spectre's cold touch on his bare skin, the way Kun treated him as if he were his property. An investment, or at the most, a disciple. He had been glad to be away from Yavin 4 again. 

Four months had passed since he had last met Luke Skywalker and his friend, Horn. Four months he had spent hoping to meet them again. An upward slash decaptivated another soldier. Four months of searching, his hatred festering in his heart like an old wound. He had turned from hunted to hunter and he just knew that the New Republic would not wait much longer before they decided to act. For a moment he relished the thought of facing an overwhelming enemy force just to slaughter them as he was slaughtering their troops right now. But Darth Vader was very aware of the fact that his power was failing. He did not know when it would leave him for good. Four months were a long time and the Shanda traditionally lasted for only a short period of time. In a way he knew that he had gone beyond the energy the ritual had given to him and that he was using up his own life force now, unable to escape the trance the Shanda had imposed on him.

And once it ended his life would be forfeited.

A sudden movement to his right caught his attention. Across the bloody battle-field he watched a slim figure advance on him slowly. Mara Jade's mouth was drawn in a tight line, disgust plain on her face. He extinguished one of the blades and let the remaining blue beam swing towards her elegantly.

"Mara Jade. It has been a long time."

She tensed when he turned toward her, his calm blue eyes somehow looking out of place on his scarred face. But despite the gruesome setting he could not scare her. After all she had known him for so long now, and he had never acted toward her with anything else than respect. She nodded slowly:

"Yes. A long time."

"Whatever you want from me, it has to wait." He gestured at the bodies strewn across the floor at his feet. "I am busy." Suddenly his head snapped around and he frowned at the sound of distant thunder, signalling the advance of more New Republic troops. With a low growl he started stalking toward the exit.

"Wait!" she called. 

But he did not heed her words. Instead he was stopped short by the sight of a young, blonde man standing there and blocking the doorway. A low hiss escaped the Dark Lord's mouth at seeing the other and Mara had no time to shout a warning before his lightsaber snapped at the newcomer angrily. The stranger took a step back, but from his posture it was clear that he would retreat no further. Only then did she recongize him. Skywalker. The rebel pilot who had single-handedly destroyed the first Death Star. A Jedi.

"Lord Vader, we need to talk," he said calmly.

"Now?" the Sith's tone was a curious mix of amusement and fury. Behind them the noises became louder and it was only a matter of time until the New Republic troops would reach them. And by then she would need to have Vader securely on her ship, Mara knew. But how to convince him to leave with her? To her surprise the Dark Lord took that decision from her. Shutting down his blade he pushed past Skywalker and simply walked away. Hurrying after him Mara had to run to catch up with the Sith. 

"Where are you going?"

"Away."

"Please, there is someone who wants to see you."

"Really."

"Admiral Torlok has something you might need."

"I don't need anything."

"A package of certain files that were deleted on the Coruscant Mainframe?"

He stopped short, a look of hurt crossing his face as he turned back toward her: "He has them? Where - No. He is not that adept." Pausing for a moment Vader was visibly fighting himself before he made a decision. His cool eyes narrowed dangerously and the young woman involontarily took a step back. "For your part in this you should die, Mara Jade. But it is Torlok who has proposed this - deal. So he will pay. Take me to him." She heaved a relieved sigh.

"Mind if I come along?" the young Jedi injected coolly.

"Skywalker! Only you could be so bold," Vader snarled.

"There is no reason to fight," the other replied smoothly.

"No? Really. You are telling me that you have no grudge against me for killing your father and the Jedi?"

"I cannot bring them back by killing you too."

Mara saw the Dark Lord hesitate and for a second it seemed as if he had aged by decades. Knowing what she did now she could feel with him and her heart was aching horribly. He knew all too well what the young Jedi meant. For this lonely crusade was nothing more than a desperate effort to ease his own grief.

"True wisdom, Jedi," he whispered, his voice broken. "But you are too late. You cannot make deeds undone with words. And I have sworn to make you pay for keeping me from joining my people."

"Not now," Mara interrupted sternly, trying to prevent more bloodshed. She swallowed hard when Vader turned on her. "Please, we have to go." Suddenly his features softened again.

"Torlok. I almost forgot. Very well. If you are coming, Skywalker, we will talk. If not, you will die."

"After you," the young man answered smoothly and Mara rolled her eyes at his cool expression. Men. It was ridiculous sometimes. 

TBC


	4. 

Plot: What if Vader wasn´t Luke and Leia´s father after all, but the real Dark Lord of Sith

Luke followed the Dark Lord and the red-haired woman reluctantly. If he had understood correctly this Mara Jade wanted to take them to some Imperial commander. What for he could only guess at. Some secret. It always came down to that, didn't it? First Yoda, then Vader, and now this. But Luke was determined to get to the bottom of this affair. He had noticed the scars on the Sith's face. They had healed well, but were still visible, and somehow the symmetric pattern looked almost serene on his broad features, not disfiguring in the least. Strange that he was thinking of something like that at a time like this. And yet, Luke did not feel fear, even though he was walking straight into the hands of his enemies. But Vader did not seem to be concerned by that prospect, despite what had gone before. It was somehow astounding how the Dark Lord was dealing with stress and danger. They just seemed to pass him by.

For a second the young Jedi wished he could say the same of himself. He tried to be calm, but all of his instincts were screaming at him that this was madness. This deal sounded all too much like a trap. What could Torlok have that Vader wanted? And would the Admiral stay true to his word even though the Dark Lord had been hunting his troops relentlessly? Somehow Luke doubted it. Torlok had not yet demanded anything in return for giving Vader whatever it was he wanted. Groaning inwardly he stopped at the lowered ramp of the ship that would take them to their destiny unknown. Mara Jade turned toward him with a frown.

"You have a choice," she told him quietly and Luke gave her a tight smile and a grateful nod.

"Well, there is something to be gained here, secrets to be uncovered."

"Some secrets are best left untold," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. Before he could answer though a dark shadow crept between them and Darth Vader's cold eyes fixed him in an icy stare.

"I have warned you before. If you choose to leave now I will kill you."

"Why?"

"Except for Jade you are the only one who knows just who has proposed this deal. Secrets, as she said, remain secrets only until they are revealed. And some are not to be revealed. Ever."

Nodding slowly Luke signalled his aquiesance. "I am a Jedi, Lord Vader, and I feel that I have to do this, even if it means my death."

"You know nothing of death, Skywalker. Yet. Maybe it is time that you learn."

Dagobah was proving to be more excrutiating than Corran would have thought. The daily training was demanding enough and somehow the Corellian was deeply frustrated because he could sense that Yoda was disappointed in him. He understood that Luke may be more talented than himself, but on the other hand Corran did not like being a past-time for his master. Yoda's heart was not in his training, that much was clear, but nevertheless he was patient and critical with his student. Perhaps though, Corran thought, he was interpreting too much into the Jedi Master's behavior. The ancient teacher was thoughtful, very much so, and with Vader on the loose and Luke hunting after him that seemed not surprising. But the sadness lingering between mentor and student conveyed much more than mere concern. Corran remembered Luke's complaints about Yoda and the Dark Lord keeping so many secrets. And somehow he believed that this was connected with the events back on Yavin 4. The Jedi Master had been truly shocked by his report. 

It was that image, the reptilian features frozen in surprise, moss-green eyes large and startled, that hovered before Corran's inner eye when he sat down at last at the end of a long day to meditate. He had studied the star chart and scriptures over and over again and had made a very strange uncovering. It had been accidentially, really, when he had displayed the scriptures a few days back and the sun had broken through the foliage and through the transparent display. Corran had sat there and blinked into the light when he had realized that the scriptures were falling onto his own features. Suddenly curious he had concentrated and closed his eyes to project his mind outside of his body to look at himself. Rising slowly he had watched the scripture wrap around his body and the resemblance to the Dark Lord's scars had been unmistakable. But there had been differences too. Intriguing. But it still remained a riddle. What was the meaning of these scriptures and what did they have to do with that ritual suicide?

"Worry you should not, Corran."

He looked up to meet the ancient Jedi's gaze: "Vader said I would make a nice gift for a friend of his," he said, frowning. Why had he remembered this just now? 

"Met him you have before?"

"On Coruscant. Vader was there, but I do not know why."

"If two Sith there are ... Impossible."

"But you told me that you could feel the darkness grow in strength, Master."

"The Dark Lord's doing that is. A sacrifice he has made in three places."

"Then you know what is going on!" Corran exclaimed and jumped up from his seat.

"Untrue that is. But felt I have the Dark Side gathering." Master Yoda's calm was unbroken. "But even if know I did, not for me secrets are to reveal."

The Corellian sighed. He would not get an answer, that much was sure. Then he would have to find them for himself. Somehow. 

Looking at his student thoughtfully Yoda pondered the implications of this new information. If there were two Sith ... But, no, he knew that Vader was the last, the only one left after the gruesome genocide initiated by Palpatine. He shuddered at the remembrance of the shockwave the Sith's demise had sent through the Force. A necessary evil? Despite everything he could not sanction this, but on the other hand there was no way to change the past. And in his opinion the Sith should never rise either. Corran understood that, but unfortunately Luke did not. Yoda had hoped that by talking to Vader the young Jedi would understand too. The Dark Lord was a model example of the dangers the Dark Side posed. He was so caught up in a philosophy full of revenge and violence. Of course, the Jedi Master knew that his life had been partly shaped by the Jedi's politics toward his people. But he refused to acknowledge that there was more to Vader than met the eye. Yoda simply could not admit to the flaws in his reasoning. Else the Jedi would perish too. And maybe he was just afraid of change. Sighing deeply he looked back up at Corran and smiled:

"Old I am, Corran. But a fool I am not. Go you will back to Coruscant and find Vader."

"And if I find him?"

"Assess the situation you must. If still a danger he is, then eliminate that threat you will."

"Kill him? Me? Alone?"

"Alone succeed you will not. Help you must enlist."

"I see," the Corellians eyes narrowed slightly. "Master Yoda, if I may say so, some secrets are not worth keeping. I can feel your conflict. Please, I know that this is a difficult time and the Force knows that I do not care for Vader, but somehow I have the feeling that there is more behind thsi conflict."

"Your mind, your best weapon it is."

"That was no answer, Master."

"No? Know that, do you?"

Corran blinked at him, then nodded once. "I will do as you have asked. But please, Master, secrets are always dangerous and one never knows what they might spark."

Admiral Torlock looked all too pleased to Mara's eyes as she led her two passengers down the landing ramp of her ship onto the star destroyer's polished deck. He had his hands crossed behind his back smartly and was standing very straight, yet relaxed, an arrogant posture that usually would enfuriate the Dark Lord immensely. Mara had witnessed quite a lot of cocky officers being taken down a notch or two by the Sith's harsh words. He did not like this at all and Mara could see the disapproval plain on his face. On Vader's heels Luke Skywalker wore a slight frown on his forehead. Undoubtedly he was regretting his previous decision. But it was too late to run. For any of them. 

"Mara Jade, you have accomplished your mission perfectly. I am highly pleased with your efforts."

Her cheeks heatened with embarrassment and anger. Who did he think he was? Her master? "Thank you so much, Admiral," she replied icily. 

"And who do we have here?" He arched an eyebrow at the young Jedi, who nodded at him curtly.

"My name is Luke Skywalker."

"Ah, the famous rebel pilot. Lord Vader has been searching for you almost everywhere, I hear. It looks as if you two have finally gotten together," Torlock added with an acid smile and turned his head ever so slightly to glance at the Sith Lord, who had kept uncharacteristically silent thus far. 

"I wonder why you are still alive, Skywalker," the admiral whispered pensively. Still, Vader did not react. Torlock stalked around him slowly, taking in his tall, black-clad frame and the pale, scarred face. Finally he came to a halt directly in front of him: "An honor, Lord Vader."

Mara watched the Dark Lord lower his gaze ever so slowly to look at the admiral, who shied back involuntarily. "I doubt that, Admiral. Jade has proposed a deal in your name, but you have not yet made your end of the trade clear. What do you want from me in exchange for the files?"

"Your power, what else?"

The Sith quirked a mirthless smile: "I fear that this is indisputable."

"Then you refuse?"

"Yes."

"Unfortunate. For you, that is." Torlock took a step back and snapped his fingers. Immediately the troopers assembled in the huge hangar bay rushed forward to line up next to him, their blaster rifles aimed straigh at Vader. "I know that you were behind the attacks on Gyndine and Carida. Additionally I suspect that you also helped the rebels take Coruscant. That is high treason, Lord Vader."

The Dark Lord shook his head slowly: "Not really. If you do have the information you claim to have you know why it is untrue."

"Who cares? You will die, despite everything. Is that not what you want? To vanish from this galaxy without leaving behind traces? To die just as uselessly as -"

"Enough!"

"Ah. So you do care after all."

Mara flinched when Torlock flew into the ranks of storm troopers assembled behind him unceremoniously. The Dark Lord's face was a mask of cold rage, but his eyes flickered with doubt. "You do not know what you are talking about," he hissed viciously as Torlock climbed back to his feet, rubbing his aching jaw where Vader's fist had connected. The admiral frowned deeply at the Sith, then shook himself once. 

"What is it with you, my lord? No Force choke? Nothing?"

"No."

"I see. Then that was what you meant when you said that I could not use your power for my ends. You have lost it, am I right? What has happened?"

Vader bared his teeth at him in a humorless smile: "I am dying Torlock, that simple. My power is spent and even if it were not so I would not let you take advantage of that force either. Now, either kill me or else give me what I want and let me go."

The Emperor's Hand felt her jaw drop open. "What?" she yelped, disbelieving. When the Dark Lord's head snapped around to face her she jumped, startled at the heat in his glare. She could feel his power, for Force's sake! Oh, damn. He was - bluffing? Hopefully so. Or maybe he was truly dying and what power he had he had to spend to sustain himself. Mara swallowed hard. But then her eyes unconsciously wandered over to rest on Luke Skywalker's suspicious features. 

But this wordless exchange had not gone by unnoticed. Frowning slightly Torlock let his greedy gaze wander over each of them, but in the end it seemed as if Mara were non-existent. The Admiral barked a short laugh: "The last of the Jedi and the last of the Sith. Who would ever have thought that they would meet under these circumstances? As for you, my Lord, I remain unconvinced. Somehow I suspect that you want to goad me into killing you. It won't happen. Not yet, that is." Nodding at Mara he took a long step back. "Guards, take them away," he ordered sharply, his face turning grim. To the young woman's surprise neither Skywalker nor the Dark Lord tried to fend off the soldiers who came forward to take them into their custody. "Mara Jade, maybe you would care to join me for dinner? Then you could report in detail. "

She gave Torlock a weak smile: "Of course. Sir."

Eyeing Vader doubtfully Luke pondered the implications of the other's words. He had lied, that much was clear. The question was though, what he had lied about. Obviously he did not want to let himself be used by Torlock, and that tied in well with the fact that Vader had been attacking Imperial troops. Somehow the Empire must have betrayed him gravely. And that must have happened before the battle of Endor. Back then he had apparently not had the opportunity to exact his revenge. So, what was different? The answer came to the young Jedi's mind immediately: Palpatine. He remembered Yoda telling him to never underestimate the Emperor's power. Could it be that the man had controlled Vader? Had used him as the Dark Lord feared the Admiral would use him too? Luke groaned inwardly. For every clue he could gather five new questions seemed to pop up out of the blue. If only Vader would talk to him! Fat chance of that happening. Still, they were in this together now and the Dark Lord _had_ told him that he would learn something here. But what? Would he finally shed light on the secrets he and Master Yoda were keeping?

"In here," one of the guards snapped and pushed the Jedi inside a cell. A force-field generator was activated and suddenly Luke felt his mind grow numb. Somehow the power field seemed to dampen the Force. Well, he thought wrily, that's one thing I have learned now. Great. To his surprise Vader joined him presently and he could hear one of the guards laugh nastily. Hopefully they did not really believe that the two of them would try to kill each other in here. Without sparing him a second glance the Sith dropped down in one corner and leaned his head back against the wall. The young man's heart skipped a beat: here they were, together and at peace. Maybe now was the time to finally talk.

"Lord Vader?"

"What."

"What files are those?"

"Private ones."

"Ah." Luke hesitated. "And what is so important about them? I mean, memories do not fade, do they? So it must be something more substantial, right?"

"The files concern the Sith. You are a Jedi and they are not for your eyes."

"But Torlock has read them, hasn't he?"

"And do you think he understood even half of it? Besides, your Master would not approve."

"Why not? I bet he knows all about it." Vader chuckled softly, but did not reply. Luke decided to try a different approach: "Is it true? That you are dying?"

"This is an Imperial prison block, boy. Do you want to share some intimate memories with them, maybe? Go ahead. But spare me."

"Sorry," was all the young man could answer to that. Sheepishly he smiled at the other occupant of the small room. "You know, I just thought, because you did not even try to kill me on Mara Jade's ship ..."

"Thought what?"

"That there might be some truth to that ... you are not feeling well."

"Perhaps there are different reasons."

"The files."

Vader sighed. "Listen, Skywalker, why don't we forget about this? 

"Master Yoda claims that you are desperate and that I should help you."

"And you took him seriously? Astounding."

"He is my master."

"But not mine."

"Well, I for one trust his judgement. What about Palpatine? Did you trust him?"

There was only silence. And Luke decided not to push it. For a long time neither of them spoke and after a while the Dark Lord's regular breathing was all that filled their confined quarters. he was positively asleep. Moving very quietly Luke stalked over to him, and sat down on hsi haunches to regard the tall Sith's relaxed face pensively. He did not look like a mass murderer or a monster, did he? Not even the scars could disguise the regalty of his features. The young Jedi smiled a bit when he reached out to trace the scar running down the left side of Vader's face, but he had only gotten as far as the brow that those icy eyes snapped open. Luke flinched back, his heart stopping for an instant. 

"Did it hurt much?" he managed at last, very quietly.

"Yes," the other answered, but the Jedi understood that the cut itself had not caused the majority of the pain.

"What were you trying to accomplish? Did you really want to kill yourself, like Torlock hinted at?"

"I-," Vader hesitated. But then he blinked those pale blue eyes and smiled warmly. "Such sincere innocence in a Jedi. I have not met that for a long time. In fact, the last to treat me like you do was General Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Ben!" Luke exclaimed at the mention of is old teacher. But then his face darkened. "You killed him. If you saw him as a ... friend, why did you kill him then?"

"It was not as if I had a choice in the matter," Vader replied wrily. Luke decided to file away that comment for later study but not to implore on the topic further. Instead he laughed softly.

"Corran thinks that you tried to perform some ritualistic suicide," he explained his sudden mirth when the Dark Lord arched his eyebrows at him questioningly.

"In a way he is right in assuming that."

"Really?"

"Yes, -" But whatever Vader had wanted to tell him was interrupted by the door sliding open to reveal the slim figure of Mara Jade. She threw a hard glance at both of them, but knelt down at Vader's side in an instant, frowning slightly. 

"Torlock knows," she whispered, startling both men.

"Knows what?" Vader inquired coolly.

"The cell has been outfitted with sensors and the readings on your metabolism and such do not look good. You really are dying, right?" To Luke's shock the Dark Lord simply nodded. Mara bit her lower lip hard. "Then we will all die. If you do not come with me right now."

"Where to?"

"We are doing a stop-over for refueling and that's where we could get off. It's a small planet, but maybe you could call some friends?" she added, looking at Luke hopefully.

"I could contact Han," he mused. 

"Perfect! Let's go."

"Wait. Why are you doing this, Jade?" the Sith's voice was tinged with betrayal.

"I want to help you, just that."

"Yet you must know that you cannot save me."

"No, until now I was not aware of that. But why?"

"We do not have the time," was all Vader replied as he rose with difficulty.

Stalking the hallways of the Imperial Palace on Coruscant Corran Horn pondered Master Yoda's words. He had to find Vader, that much was clear, but kill him? No way. The Dark Lord had escaped justice so far, but that would change, if Corran ever caught up with him. What worried him more though was the fact that Luke was out there, hunting that Sith alone. Suddenly he sensed someone coming up from behind him. Turning around he smiled at the Princess warmly, wondering if she knew that she was fairly glowing in the Force. 

"Commander Horn," she said, her expression grave. "Have you heard anything from Luke?"

"No, I am sorry."

"What did Master Yoda say?"

"Nothing much. He wants me to find our fave Dark Lord and get rid of him."

She arched her eyebrows coolly: "Really. All alone?"

"If I have to," he shrugged, prompting her to laugh.

"Corellians!"

"Indeed."

Both stopped laughing when they heard someone approach rapidly. Han Solo was pounding along the corridor, breathing hard. He stopped in front of them and gasped pitifully before he could finally speak again:

"Out of practice," he wheezed. "Gotta ... do .. something more than ... sit around in meetings."

Leia wrapped an arm around his waist and drew him closer. "You don't say. And what was on your mind?"

"Actually I thought about a short trip to Kuthan. Luke has called. He needs someone to pick him up." Now Solo was looking straight at Corran.

"What?" the Princess exclaimed, totally surprised. "How - Why is he on Kuthan?"

"Yeah, a real shock. But wait 'til I tell you where that transmission was sent from."

"Well?"

"An Imperial Star Destroyer."

"A trap?" Corran asked quizzically.

"I am not sure."

"But it could be one."

Solo spread his arms wide: "Where's the fun in that? Come on, Horn, this will be great. Chewie is coming along and a special unit, of course. I think Mothma wants you to lead it."

"A special unit? I don't even know what you are talking about!"

"Vader, who else? He's with Luke and apparently they are on the run form those Imps they hiked a ride with. So we better hurry before the bad guys catch up with them, right?"

Kuthan had turned into chaos. Literally. They had landed their stolen shuttle a bit apart from any settlements, out of a very simple reason. The TIE-fighters sent after them had blown up their ship without hesitating, and laser fire had followed them during their hasty flight towards the precarious shelter of the hills. And yet, they did not have enough supplies to last long. Sooner or later the trio would need to help. Right now, three days later, Mara Jade was cursing herself for ever having decided to help those two bickering maniacs. Skywalker was constantly trying to get information out of Vader and the Dark Lord in turn did not miss any chance to pick on the younger man. The former Emperor's Hand was surprised that there hadn't been any bloodshed yet. But then, they were all too tired to fight among themselves. Even though Mara sometimes would very much love to smack one or both of her companions. 

Take the latest incident for example. It had started with the last ration bar ending up with Vader. Or rather, ending up in pieces at his feet after Skywalker had tried to stuff it down the Sith's throat, a Sith who had refused this treament quite vehemently. Damn his stubborn, foolish pride. No, he didn't need any help and yes, he was okay, and he maintained that air of control even though his face looked ashen and his eyes were gleaming with fever. And then, after they had shouted at each other Vader had started to pummel his Jedi counterpart with the Force. With unforseen consequences. Right now he was sick by the bushes and Skywalker was hoovering at his side, wringing his hands in worry. Unbelievable. Vader was still ranting whenever he managed to take a breath. Did he just call the young man an incompetent nerd? 

"He is a bit agitated," Skywalker told her as he joined Mara.

"Really. I hardly noticed," she shot back sarcastically. "Why can't you just leave him alone?"

"Because he still ows me some answers."

"Just that?"

His face fell. "No."

"He is dying, Skywalker, and no wonder he's not happy."

"Call me Luke. Please."

"All right. I am Mara. Or Jade, if you prefer."

"Mara is fine."

They stared at each other, falling silent all of a sudden, as if something had just happenedthat could not quite be grasped. Luke's eyes went blank.

"Well."

"Yes, well."

"JADE!"

Mara jumped at the Dark Lord's angry shout. Hurrying over to him she dropped down on her haunches beside him, frowning. His blue eyes were fixed straight ahead and the fever had been replaced by silent fury. 

"What?"

"Is that smoke over there?"

Following his gaze she felt her breath catch in her throat. "Yes," she whispered." I think there was a small town in that direction."

"'Was' is exactly the right term." Heaving himself upright he did not even look at Skywalker before he held out an arm to intercept the young Jedi's path as he charged ahead. "If you want to get yourself killed, please be so good and don't run off now. You'd only betray our position."

"They are killing innocent people!"

"Better them than us," the Dark Lord replied harshly.

"What? You can't be serious!" That from Skywalker. Mara was aghast. Hadn't Vader lost his own people. Why could he not relate to the fate of those down there? It seemed strange and all too cruel. 

"Lord Vader," she began sternly. But he held up a hand imploringly.

"No. I know what you are going to say. The answer is easy. There is no way to replace what I have lost. If we go down there we will die too. But we have a chance to warn the other villages."

"That is madness. Far too dangerous for us too."

"We need supplies anyway, Jade. What's your problem?"

"No problem," Luke answered in her place. "We will do what you say. That is, Mara and I will do what you say. You will stay behind."

"I-"

But Mara could see that he had turned even paler than before. She patted the Dark Lord's shoulder gently, then smiled at him. Maybe she had really misjudged him there. "Please, Luke is right. You can be our back-up, should anything go wrong. Force knows I hope that nothing will though. But we had better find another place for you to stay."

He gave her a mirthless smile: "So sure of your victory. That is the Mara Jade I know. Thank you for your concern. I thank both of you."

"Phew!" Luke breathed, flushing red with embarrassment. Mara grinned at him.

"Don't think too much of his praise. The last time he told me something like that he thanked me for the exercise and then took me apart with his practice saber!"

"I would have loved to see that match."

The sudden silence in the Force hit them all like a hammerblow and Mara watched Vader's eyes grow cold. "You had better hurry and warn the others." 

"Will you be all right?" the young Jedi asked him sheepishly.

"As all right as can be, Skywalker. Now go."


	5. Resurrection

Plot: What if Vader wasn´t Luke and Leia´s father after all, but the real Dark Lord of Sith

Hugging his arms around himself Darth Vader watched the pair go with mixed feelings. He did not want them to come back. In a way he had forgiven Skywalker for his foolishness and he had to accept that there was truly nothing that would bring the past back. The good things anyway. His family. Gods, how Jade reminded him of his headstrong daughter sometimes! It was unbelievable. And he did not want that reminder for the rest of his life, as short as that rest was going to be. No, better for them to stay away, better for him to leave the memories as they were. Peaceful, with no darkness lingering anymore. He felt so empty, so useless. And still, he thought that he needed to hold on to his believes. The Sith had to remain a secret and their fate unknown. To not let them become nothing but a fire-side tale, all twisted around and deformed. Shaking his head the Dark Lord looked up at the bleak sky, full of clouds and mystery. The emptiness would not go away and his emotions were banging against the outside of his transparent prison, begging and shouting for admittance. But he would not back down, not again. He had let his feelings run rampant once and had left death and destruction in his wake. 

If his secrets were to be revealed, ripping all of his deep wounds open once more, he did not know what would happen. To relive all that pain and grief and to see and hear them again so clearly, as if they were still here ... They were not! He had been a fool to believe that he coudl change anything. And the only one he hated right now was himself. 

"And so you should." The voice of Exar Kun repimanded him.

"Hate leads to fear, fear leads to anger and anger leads to pain and suffering," Vader intoned softly, his eyes devoid of anything. "It is so true."

The other snorted contemptuously: "Jedi! But it is not you who has to suffer that torment!"

"And yet it is me. Where is the difference?"

"Focus on your anger, make it your shield, and then you will defeat the pain."

"A life full of hatred. That is not what I wanted."

"You wanted revenge for your people and you used the means available to you. Now I am asking _you_ where you draw the line."

"Palpatine," the Sith hissed viciously. "I never should have trusted him."

"Too late for regrets." Bending down the ancient specter sought his gaze and reached out to cup his chin in his left hand. "I can feel your torment, my friend. And it is yours to decide what path to choose to end it."

Darth Vader jerked his head back, frowning. He did not like Kun touching him. But the Sith Lord continued caressing his face, obviously fascinated with the scars decorating it. "What do you get out of my choices?" the Dark Lord whispered, truly curious.

"All that I desire, my friend. And that is more than you can imagine."

"My power is of no use to you anymore."

Exar Kun smiled wickedly and shook his head, sending his long mane flying. "Your power is vast! You are the last Dark Lord of Sith!" 

"As good as dead. You know all that! The Shanda is eating me up from the inside and here you are, mocking me!"

"Not at all." Suddenly serious the ancient one let go of him again. "Make your choice and you will survive. I know you will find the right answer."

"I trusted Palpatine and now I am supposed to trust you? Where does that leave me? Is there something even worse than being a fool?"

"I still am a Sith. I am one of us, not one of them, Lord Vader."

"I understand."

"So you do. Secrets are secrets until they are revealed or else forgotten. If they are forgotten, my friend, they become no more than a shadow of the past and in the end all you feared will come true. They will turn into a myth, just like me."

"And that we don't want, do we?"

"Exactly. I will leave you for now. By the way, I am pleased to see that you and Skywalker have made your peace."

"Are you now?"

"Yes, I truly am." The glowing specter vanished, leaving the Dark Lord alone again.

"Fancy that. I feel just the same." And Darth Vader realized to his own surprise that he really meant it. 

Despite the circumstances Luke felt completely at ease, realizing that this was his first real mission as Jedi Knight. To protect the innocent from harm and to oppose evil where he met it. Strange, that he did not include Vader there anymore. Something had changed between them and it had started aboard that Imperial Star Destroyer. The young Jedi sensed that they had formed some sort of trust between them, as if his open approach had unlocked something in the Dark Lord, a need for understanding, maybe. Whatever it was though, it could not drown out the shadow of the Sith's impending death. He found that he could think of nothing else at the moment. They had left him behind and if he died now, all alone, the young man thought that he would never forgive himself for that. Just ahead of him Mara Jade was striding ahead purposefully, her eyes constantly tracking their surroundings and her hand on her blaster. She was right, they had their own lives to worry about. And they did not have much time. the sound of ground vehicles could be heard all over the plains and Luke did not doubt the shrewdness of Torlock's approach. The admiral could be certain that a Jedi would not hide in the face of such undisguised cruelty. That way he would be able to seperate the small team, maybe use one against the other, if he played this well. 

"We do not have much time, he was right about that," Mara said suddenly and pointed East. Smoke was curling into the sky over there and Luke's eyes narrowed.

"Then we will just have to move faster," he replied and started jogging toward the horizon, where they would eventually find the town they had selected as their first and probably only target, by the look of things. "They will always have an edge with their ground vehicles, but I feel that we can make it nevertheless."

"Dream on," she said under her breath as she ran by his side. "Torlock wants us to reveal our position and then we are done for."

Luke pursed his lips thoughtfully and frowned. The admiral would catch up to them sooner or later in any case, that was, if they did not find a transport off planet. Chances were that the troopers had been so thoughtful as to land in a wide circle around the site where the three fugitives had touched own. The radius would be determined by an estimate as to how fast and far they could move. But where exactly would they have their ships? Or had Torlock grounded his own soldiers here to prevent any escape? Luke groaned inwardly. He could not be sure about anything, it seemed. A sudden smile lit up his face. If they could not predict Torlock's actions right now they had to move in such a way that they became forseeable. Which menat in essence that they would need to act the way he expected them to act. Stopping suddenly he caught Mara's arm. She turned her head to look at him, a gust of wind tousling her red mane and the light reflecting in her emerald eyes. Luke found himself smiling instinctively. But she only frowned at him.

"What?"

"Mara, I want you to go back to Vader."

"What are you planning?"

"If I show up alone Torlock will believe that we have broken up or something. I will warn the village and get them out."

"All on your own?"

"Well, that's the catch. You and Vader need to get us transport, a shuttle or something, where we could all fit in."

"The villagers too?"

"Torlock will not spare them, I am sure. He'll suspect them of helping us."

She looked at him quizzically. "Don't forget the supplies. And meet us at fourteen hundred east. Right?"

"Okay. Take care, Mara."

"You too."

She shook her head at his retreating back. It was a plan, yes, but only half-baked. And Mara had no idea how to make it work properly. His way he would likely get himself killed heroically and perhaps she and Vader would be able to blast out of here. And yet the former Emperor's Hand could see no possibility to get out of there alive at all. Maybe Vader could come up with something. In any case she had to move fast. Running back the way they had come Mara prayed that noone would spot her and kept to the small bushes and hills for protection as best as she could. Not before long though she was back where they had started from. The Dark Lord was already waiting for her. Standing tall amidst the thickets, the wind playing in his dark hair, he looked like some ancient god with those scars and cold blue eyes. He stared at her blankly at first, then moved to meet her.

"What is it? Where is Skywalker?" She spilled her story in record time and he frowned before his gaze locked on the horizon, where she suspected Luke was right now. "A daring plan," he said at last and shook his head gravely. "But you are right, one element of surprise is missing."

"And which one is that?"

"We need transport. But if Torlock has his troops grounded, we won't get it. We have no bargaining power, nothing to force him to come down from the heavens, so to say, save one thing: ourselves."

"You want to surrender?"

"Maybe we can take them out. You and I know Torlock. He likes to gloat. And if he wants us dead he'll want to watch, definitely."

Mara nodded. It sounded reasonable. "You are right. That's a chance, but what about Luke?"

"No, what about timing, that is the crucial question."

"I gave him four hours."

"Think you can last that long? It will take us at least an hour to find one of their hunting parties. And another three hours on the run after that."

She smiled at his earnest expression, then shrugged, wanting to hug him really. "For a dying man you sound pretty determined."

"Well, I do not want you to die too," he conceded and the young woman's smile faded.

"I am sorry for what happened."

"But grief won't change it. And it was not your fault, just mine. I was too blind to see the truth."

For a split-second she hesitated, but the grateful look on his face when she nodded in aquiesance nearly broke her heart. "But you have learned," Mara whispered and felt tears in her eyes. He wiped them away with a tiny smile.

"That I have. Come. We have a long day ahead of us."

Aboard the Millenium Falcon two Corellians were being very silent. Which was a feat in itself, but Corran and Han both were not looking forward to what they might find on Kuthan. As the ship hurtled through hyperspace toward their destination both hoped that they were not too late. But in the end Solo could stand the silence no longer. Turning toward his shorter companion he frowned.

"Think they are still alive?"

"One has to keep the faith," Corran replied ironically.

"Can't you sense Luke or something?"

The Jedi shook his head: "It is too far. Besides, I am far from being a fully trained Knight. Luke would have a better chance of sensing me than the other way round."

"I see. A pity. Now we won't know what is waiting for us out there."

"Well, we know one thing: there'll be an Imperial Star Destroyer." He grinned at Solo's sour expression.

"Yeah, yeah. I am just glad that Leia managed to talk Mothma into giving us an escort."

"Two corvettes versus one destroyer? All they can do is buy us time."

"Then let's hope that'll be all we need."

"Nah, we'll need much more than that if we are going up against Vader. Two Jedi won't be enough, I fear. Besides, it could be that there are two Sith."

"What?" Jumping up Solo stared at him in disbelief. "Two? And you are telling me now?"

Corran shrugged: "It is just an assumption, but we had better be prepared."

"You yourself said that we can't be prepared, so what's the point? Besides, I do not think Vader will give us much trouble."

"Why not? Because he didn't kill Luke yet? The man wiped out more troopers all by himself than a whole batallion could have managed. Remember what he did during the rebellion. The man is a psychotic killer. I mean, even my master thinks the same and he is a Jedi Master, for Force's sake!"

"I understand, I think. What you are saying is that if even a Jedi Master cannot spare compassion or forgiveness for that Sith then you can neither, right?"

"Exactly. The man is a criminal, you cannot deny that."

"Yes, yes. I know. And yet, Luke would not hang around with him if there wasn't something..."

"Vader could just be injured and Luke's waiting for us to pick them up. And then there is the possibility that it is Vader who wants that lift."

"You mean Luke might have become his puppet?"

Corran's features froze. That was indeed what he feared most, but thus far he had not dared voice his worries aloud. Hearing it now out of Solo's mouth felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dropped over his head. And once more he wished that he knew all of the secrets surrounding the Sith. That would have given him an edge and a clue as to how to approach Vader if his suspicions turned out to be true.

"Corran?"

"What?"

"Luke is a good by and he would not let himelf be turned that easily. Besides, he didn't sound any different from what I am used to. And I have known him far longer than you do."

"That is true. So let us just hope for the best, right?"

"Right."

Which would mean that hopefully when they arrived the Dark Lord would be dead and Luke unharmed, waiting for his rescue. But somehow Coran had the nasty feeling that things would not be that easy.

Walking into the silent village square Luke concentrated on his surroundings, letting the Force supply him with the information he needed. People were hiding from him, hidden behind the secure walls of their squat houses, but their nervousness permeated the very air and fear was strongest in that cloud of negative feelings. The young Jedi looked around carefully and lifted his arms to show that he bore no weapon safe a lightsaber. The sunlight was filtered through the smoke of the burning villages and towns around them. It was an eerie atmosphere, gloomy and hot and charged with violence. 

"I will not harm you!" Luke called out eventually, hoping for any reaction. For a while nothing happened. "Listen to me!" he continued desperately. "The Imperial troops are attacking your towns at random. You have to get away now and warn your neighbors!"

Finally some sullen looking men edged out of one of the houses, their blaster rifles pointing straight at the young man standing in the middle of the square.

"Who are you?" one of them shouted.

"I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight," he replied, not without a hint of pride.

"The Jedi are dead." Coming closer the group eyed him suspiciously.

"Not at all. Please, there is no point to discussing right now. We are trying to get transport off planet."

"We?"

"I have called in reinforcements, but for now we have to gather as many as we can to save them."

"What about the Imps?"

Luke hesitated. He could not stand against them alone, but ... "This is your lives, your future. I suggest you fight for it. I can only protect you, I cannot defeat them on my own."

The obvious leader of the band stared at him, then nodded sharply. "It's a deal."

"Good," brightening up Luke smiled at them. "You will need supplies, and ground transport, if you have that. There is not much time so make it under an hour, all right?"

They mumbled something and went off in a dash to prepare their departure. Left all alone again Luke continued to make encouraging gestures and send soothing thoughts at the villagers who began scrambling around, men and women and children alike, all looking to him for guidance. It frightened him a bit to have that much responsibility placed on his shoulders, but then, he had better get used to it. He was Jedi and it was his duty to protect the helpless at any time. From farm-boy to leader of the band in record time. It made his head spin. But once everyone was ready there was only one goal left and he marched ahead of the small procession in the direction of the closest neighboring village determinedly. I just hope Mara and Vader can get what we need, he thought grimly.

It was three hours and two villages later and the crowd following the young Jedi had grown considerably. Detection became the most immediate threat now and Luke was getting tired from hanging on to the Force in an effort to map down his surroundings and avoid the Imperial troops. There had been a minor skirmish with some scouts and he could not be sure if they had managed to dispose of them in time. When the steady roar of ground vehicles became louder though he knew that they had lost. Ordering his people to spread out he thought hard on what to do. But time was not on Luke's side. All too soon the grey, armored vehicles arrived and white-clad troopers poured out of their great bellies like ants. In the matter of a few minutes the small band had been surrounded and Luke sighed deeply. He stepped toward what looked like the officer in charge coolly and held his head high. A dozen blaster-rifles swung around to center on his chest. He did not even notice.

"Skywalker? Luke Skywalker?" the metallic voice of the sergeant seemed incredulous.

"That's me." A sharp nod accompanied his confession. 

"Saves us some trouble. Put your weapons down, all of you. And, Skywalker, if you so much as take a breath without permission those people over there are dead. Understood?"

Biting his lower lip the young man lay a hand on his lightsaber and for a second he considered attacking the troopers. But that would be foolish and would only get innocents killed with him. So he let the handle drop to the ground unceremoniously and did not resist when two troopers came over to bind his hands on his back. The villagers, emanating fear and confusion mostly, were herded into the dark bellies of the ground vehicles and the Jedi did not dare to question this move. Apparently he had judged Torlock right and those people would serve as hostages to keep him under control. Damn. It took another hour until they had reached their final destination and as Luke was hustled out into the open again he found himself in a square marked off by four huge vehicles and surrounded by troopers everywhere. The villagers were led over to stand on a hill and Luke could not help but notice that this position would give the troopers a very good aim at them. 

"Skywalker!"

Turning his head at the sound of a familiar voice he saw Mara Jade grinning at him. Her arms too were bound behind her back too, but despite the circumstances she seemed pretty cheerful. Frowning at her the young Jedi let his eyes wander over the assembled troops until he found Vader, his black-clad form standing out easily among the storm troopers. His shoulders were slumped in defeat and he was deadly pale. Swallowing hard Luke took a step toward them. He was intercepted immediately. So he just stood his ground, waiting like everyone else. Finally the descent of an Imperial shuttle beat down on them harshly, battering some of the frightened villagers to the ground mercilesly. Not unexpectedly it was Admiral Torlock himself who left the ship and strode down the landing ramp purposefully, a cruel smile on his face. He was bearing down on the Dark Lord without breaking stride once.

Darth Vader looked up at the admiral wearily. The chase had been long and strenuous and it was hard for him to keep awake and not lose consciousness. Black spots had begun dancing in front of his eyes in an ever faster dizzying dance and the other's words reached him only through a haze of buzzing noises. His concentration was faltering but still he clung to Exar Kun's promise. That he could turn this around after all. But how, was the question. Mara Jade had stood by his side patiently, trusting him fully and he could not disappoint her now like he had disappointed his family and his people. Just once he wanted to succeed in protecting those he cared for, despite the cost to himself. At the beginning of the day he had believed that he could contain his strength, but he had overestimated himself badly. And now his false assumption was coming back to haunt him. Fool, he admonished himself and sighed.

"Lord Vader, we meet again. And so soon too," Torlock told him sarcastically. The Dark Lord did not answer. "You must admit that this strategy has proven effective. Of course I knew it would, seeing how your master used the same all those decades ago. A sly move, devious too. And you could not escape the last time either."

"But you get nothing out of it," Vader said at last.

"Oh, but I will. Your young friend here is almost ready, I believe."

The Sith snorted softly: "You think you could handle a Dark Jedi? Maybe you are not as smart as you think you are. He will not turn against his friends, under no circumstances. You lost and it is time you accepted that."

"Unfortunately your reasoning has some logic to it. Very well. Then I will have to stick to the original directive. Sergeant!" Torlock bellowed.

"Sir?"

"Have the civilians shot."

"As ordered."

"Now, Lord Vader, I believe we shall see who has misjudged whom."

He stood his ground stoically, telling himself over and over again that nothing he could do now, which was fairly little anyway, could save them. Why fight it? Because it was wrong. They would die because of him, the blood of even more innocents would be put at his feet for his being too cautious to interfere. What did he have to lose anyway? Nothing at all. 

"Torlock," he whispered as the panicked screams of the fugitives rang over the hills when they realized the troopers' intent.

"Have you changed your mind, my Lord? Too late, I fear."

"There is a poem that accompanies life like a beautiful dream. I have had the honor to read the beginning and the end, but I fear that I cannot understand its meaning fully without studying the rest too."

"A poem? What the heck are you talking about?"

"It is about life and death, darkness and light. Quite moving, by the way."

"And what has that got to do with everything?"

"I have decided to read it further."

Charging at Torlock he managed to rip the blaster out of its holster on the first go and the sudden rush of adrenaline wiped the dizzy spell right off his mind. At his side he could see Mara Jade stare at him, disbelieving. A flick of his hand broke her bonds and those of Skywalker, whose face was a mask of sheer outrage and the young man's blue eyes were flashing dangerously at the troopers moving into position around the refugees. Once he was free the Jedi ran for them without thinking, and for a second Darth Vader felt a smug smile creep onto his lips. The Dark Side was strong in this one, very strong.

Then a blaster bolt hit his left shoulder and he was thrown around hard. Once he had recovered though the rage was back. Not the senseless destructive fury of the Shanda, but a righteous anger over a cruel and unjustified order that had nothing to do with warfare. He would not let the Imperials repeat here and today what they had done to the Sith. No way. Launching himself at the troopers with a wild roar he took aim with an expert eye and dropped to the ground hard just as the ground vehicle he had shot at exploded in a gust of super-hot flames. Shrapnel flew through the air with killing speed, but that did not stop him. Picking up another blaster the Dark Lord waded into the surviving troops while the crackling fire and the screams of the troopers and fugitives alike filled the air around him with a cacophony of confusion and pain. When he found Torlock his smile turned into a feral snarl. 

"You cannot save them," the admiral hissed, his right hand covering a deep gouge cut across his belly. His head was a mass of charred flesh. Apparently the blast had hit him straight in the back. And it was true what he had said. Without the Force to aid him Vader stood no chance to get to the troopers in time. Gritting his teeth he put the barrel of the blaster to the other's forehead.

"This is not over yet."

He had reached the hillside at record time and even though he had no idea how he could get rid of the troopers Luke charged ahead nevertheless. He had to do _something_! An explosion suddenly rocked the ground underneath his feet and he turned around to see the backwash of the detonation reach out for the troopers standing there. Just a few minutes later another of the vehicles went up in flames and he thought he could make out Mara darting away just in time. Good girl. There was no sign of the Dark Lord. But then, as the fire lept hight, darkness spread out from the small valley like the ripples in a pond. Teeth chattering Luke tried to stand against it, but the feeling was overwhelming. It ran over the hills with the low roar of a million voices that changed suddenly into the high whine of a ship's engines. Luke looked up to see a familiar disk shape approach the battle-field. The Millenium Falcon! Finally! With a joyful laugh the young Jedi spun around again toward the troopers who had identified this new and more immediate threat. But unfortunately their only way of cover was to use the fugitives as living shields.

"No!" he shouted and made a dash for the hilltop. 

"Skywalker!"

The voice stopped him cold. And all around all noises were cut off, the world falling silent. The crunch of boots over dry grass was the only sound that Luke could hear apart from his own ragged breathing. Coming up slowly the Dark Lord drew level with him and the Jedi stared at him torn between anger, fear and longing. There was such calmness and power about Vader that made Luke almost envious. But still, there was no disguising the strain on the older man's features and the scars running over his forehead and cheeks seemed to throb wildly. His pale blue eyes were void of anything as he stared at the fugitives blankly. Blood covered most of his torso, whether it was his own though the young Jedi could not tell. 

"What do we do now?" he asked softly at last and nodded toward the nervous-looking troopers.

"Your friends are here. Best go and greet them," Vader answered in a hollow voice that sent shivers down Luke's spine. "Now."

Reluctantly he took a step back, then another, as the Sith advanced on the hilltop steadily, his body brimming with power and his mind humming with the haunting song of the Dark Side. Luke opened his mouth to call him back, but then thought otherwise. This was important somehow, he knew in a way that could not be explained. When he finally turned away though the sudden gust of darkness at his back froze the marrow in his bones. Luke ran. Halfway to the Falcon he whirled back to stare at the single figure standing atop the small hill. The refugees were running for the valley, eyes wide and mouths opened in silent screams. There was no sign of any storm trooper. 

On the hill the Dark Lord's face was a mask of disbelief and pain. Blood was drenching his clothes, dripping to the ground from his fingertips as his hands clenched and unclenched as if he were searching for something to do or say. The young Jedi hesitated and stood there for a long moment, rooted in place. His thoughts were running rampant in hise head. They should call in reinforcements, but Han would have thought of that already, wouldn't he? And the refugees needed medical attention, as did he and Vader, too. Corran was on the Falcon. Corran, who thought that Vader was a psychotic criminal he needed to bring down under any circumstances. He could not allow that. Shaking his head fiercely to get rid of his dark thoughts Luke ran to meet the New Republic troopers pouring from the now lowered ramp of the ancient freighter. Han was standing there with them, Corran by his side. Both were staring at something beyond Luke's shoulder and he didn't need his eyes to know what they were looking at. What would become of the Dark Lord now? Only one thing was certain: They would not leave him here.

Gasping for air Darth Vader felt the force of the bonding slam into him, ripping him apart inside out as his power was restored to him. He had not felt like this ever since the Shanda ritual and this was even worse. His mind was drawn in every direction at once, searching tendrils of power connecting him to everyone on the battlefield. What he felt from Skywalker made his head ache. He raised his hands slowly, blinking at the dark blood flowing over his arms, the wet ground at is feet. He had not wanted this. Tears started mingling with the blood as he shook his head in despair. How could he do this? How could he betray those who had died because of him? His people. Andra. Nomi. The reaction had been almost instinctive and that was what had surprised him most. He had not even thought about the consequences. But the bond was sealed with blood and there was no turning back now.

Groaning softly he started walking toward the ship in the distance, unsure of what to do. If he surrendered he would likely die. And that he could not. Not anymore. But on the other hand he had the power to defeat the New Republic troops easily. If he chose to kill them now he would be free. Yes, indeed. And then? The refugees needed shelter, medical attention, food, clothes, whatever. And he could not provide that. Closing his eyes he tried to calm himself. Very well. If he had to become a prisoner again to fullfill his duties to them so be it. And who was he fooling anyway? He was far too tired from the immense blood-loss to do much. He dropped to his knees slowly, taking a deep breath. Suddenly someone was by his side, laying a thick, gray blanket over his shoulders. Only now did he realize that he was shivering. 

"Thank you," he managed and Mara Jade dropped to her haunches next to him, trying to catch his glance. The Dark Lord turned his head away to look over at the ship. Skywalker was walking up to the two of them slowly, hesitantly, but Corran Horn did not seem to be held back by any restrictions. His face was a mask of cold rage as he came to a halt in front of them. Mara rose gracefully, but stayed at the kneeling man's side. The Corellian Jedi gave him a cold stare. He had his blaster trained on the Dark Lord's face and apparently he meant to use it. 

"Luke, I want you and Jade to look after the refugees. Now," Horn barked sharply, but the young Jedi did not budge.

"Corran. I believe that you are making a mistake," Luke began, but was interrupted immediately.

"A mistake? I don't think so. Whatever he did here today means nothing compared to what he's done so far. Nothing."

Setting his mouth in a grim line Vader stared at the ground before looking over at Skywalker:

"You need someone to look after your wounds, boy. See to it. Take her with you."

The young man shook his head gravely: "No way. You need it much more."

"Not on this ship," the Dark Lord hissed and glared up at Horn angrily. It was not that what the other had said was not true. Not at all. But in another way it was also terribly wrong. 

"Right," Corran snorted. "We have called in reinforcements. They will be here in a few hours. What happened anyway?"

Luke hesitated again. He was not even sure himself why exactly Vader had suddenly regained his power after he had been all but helpless only a few hours ago. "We were captured and Torlock wanted the refugees to die with us. We tried to prevent that and- . I am not sure what happened next."

"How about you?" Corran snapped, waving his blaster at the Dark Lord, who shook his head slowly. "Are you deaf or what? No? Very well. I don't really care anyway. Get up." 

Luke winced at the sight of Vader staggering upright. His wounds had not stopped bleeding at all. Hissing something vicious at Corran the young Jedi pushed past him and practically dragged Vader over to the Millenium Falcon. Han was eyeing him doubtfully, but he let them pass without a comment. The only one protesting this course of action was the Dark Lord himself. 

"Let go," he whispered angrily, trying to shake Luke off. He would not have it. Maneuvering his struggling charge into the small medical ward of the old freighter he shoved him into the single bunk. 

"Stay there," Luke snapped. "Han! I need some help here. Can you work the equipment?" 

His friend came running around the corner hurriedly: "Sure, sure. Stand aside, kid." 

Han gave the Dark Lord a suspicious glance before he bent over him to work the controls of the emergency medical equipment. Turning to the sound of approaching bootssteps Luke's face turned grim.

"Get out, Corran," he said coldly, moving to block the other's way. 

"Luke, what the hell do you think you are doing? I am not going to hurt him or anything."

He did not answer. But Vader's voice was clearly audible in the tense silence filling the small room: "He has every right to be concerned, Skywalker. But rest assured that I would not kill your friends, even if I wanted to."

"Nice," Corran snapped. 

"Stop that, all of you," Han said sourly, giving each one of them an angry glare. "My ship, my rules. You, get back out there and help," he told Corran coldly. "And you," here he pointed at Vader. "If you so much as lift a finger against me while I give you this," he held up a sedative, "you are out of here and I don't care if you bleed to death or not. Understood?"

The three men nodded, one by one.

"Good."

Han pushed down the Dark Lord's collar and froze, a frown on his face. He stared at the vertical scar slashed down the side of the other's neck pensively before applying the sedative. Luke could feel that Vader was very grateful for Han not inquiring what that scar was and immediately decided to ask him about it later. Maybe it was a clue as to what had happened back there. But for now they had better leave him to rest.

Walking into the already crowded tiny medical ward Mara leaned against the doorway and let her eyes wander over the four men assembled there. Sykwalker was hovering next to Vader like a small, angry batham, his eyes flashing coldly at the one called Corran. She did not know the other, taller man, but his face seemed familiar. Some rebel or other, she guessed. Vader was apparently asleep, judging by the peaceful expression on his face and his closed eyes. She could feel the Force flow between all four of them, but the bond connecting the Dark Lord and Skywalker was most visible. An intricate line of silver to her eyes she could recognize an extension of the strange field she had been able to make out outside. She wondered briefly if the young Jedi could see it too. Suddenly he became aware of her presence and his features softened ever so slightly.

"Mara!" he said and nodded at her, inviting her to come closer. The man called Corran turned around and frowned deeply. Apparently he had seen nothing, but Skywalker's eyes went wide. He stared first at her, then at Vader and back. Hissing softly between his teeth he opened his mouth to speak, but Mara got there first.

"It is everywhere around," she explained. "All of the fugitives are part of the web."

"What web?" Corran snapped suddenly.

"You can't see it? Luke seemed bewildered. "But you are a Jedi, you should..."

Stopping himself short he gave Vader's sleeping form a pensive look. Then he went outside without another word. Corran followed him swiftly. The tall, dark-haired man was the only one left and he gave Mara a quizzical glance.

"What was that about?" he asked finally and she smiled at him before she replied:

"Secrets."

He shrugged and went to follow his friends while Mara sat down on the edge of the bunk to examine the sleeping Sith carefully. Her right hand moved almost unconsciously and pushed down the collar of his shirt carefully to look at the scars. Right after that she found herself unbuttoning the sleeves and studying the scripture snaking down his right arm. It looked strange, unfinished, and somehow familiar. Straightening his clothes again the young woman sat there for a long time, thinking. And one after the other the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Finally Mara rose and left too. Outside she found the New Republic troopers hurry around the battle-field in a frenzy, herding the refugees together as fast as they could. Which could only mean one thing: they were not out of trouble yet.

"Mara!" Luke waved her to his side.

"What is it?"

"We need to make a quick escape. There are two corvettes to one star destroyer and we better hurry before our escort gets blown up."

"Can we fit them all in that one ship?"

"There's still Torlock's shuttle."

"Right. You stay with Vader and I'll pilot that one."

"If you don't mind I'll get Corran to go with you. I don't trust him around Vader."

"Sure. No problem. Where to?"

"Coruscant. As fast as you can make it." He gave her a small smile. "May the Force be with you."

"Just make it quick."


	6. A New Beginning

Plot: What if Vader wasn´t Luke and Leia´s father after all, but the real Dark Lord of Sith

The voyage back was a time of peace and healing for all of them. There were no questions asked, no explanations demanded. That would come later, back on Coruscant, where undoubtedly whole catalogues of open topics were being assembled already. Unfortunately Corran was not sure if any of those requests could be met sufficiently at all. After their flight from Kuthan they had all met again aboard the Corvette Faith. And right now he had taken refuge in Luke's quarters and they were both immersed in meditative exercises, exuding calm and contentment at an almost transcendental level. It was amazing what kind of control it required to relax so thoroughly. But Luke was a good teacher, very patient and understanding, and, what was more, he had completed his training only recently, a fact that made them more equal than Corran felt around Master Yoda. Still, he could not help but notice that the young Jedi Knight spend an awful lot of time with Vader. Even more so than Mara Jade. Not that Corran had any righ to interfere. Besides, the Dark Lord would rip his head off if he even tried. It was almost ridiculous, the way the Sith acted toward both Luke and Jade. Not to mention the refugees. So fiercly protective, as if he did not trust their rescuers one inch. And yet, there was something amiss, some secrets left untold. Well, for now he would be patient, but in the end not even Darth Vader would be able to withhold all of the truth.

"Corran?"

Snapping out of his grim broodings the Corellian looked up at Luke who had risen from his seat on the floor and now stood watching him intently.

"What?"

"I'm going to go for a little walk around the ship. Wanna join me?"

"No, thanks," he breathed, sensing that Luke had proposed his joining him out of mere courtesy. Most likely he would go and meet with Vader and Jade.

"Okay." 

Shutting the door behind him Luke left without turning back once. Corran shivered involuntarily. There was something strange in the air... "Damn Sith," he whispered, heart-felt and moved to get up. But the glowing specter that appeared quite suddenly in front of him held him back, frozen in his tracks. Gaping at the tall man clad in voluminous black robes, ebony hair gleaming in the artificial lights, Corran wished that he had not said what he had. The stranger gave him a mocking smile, then glided closer, his image sometimes wavering like a bad holo.

"Corran, Corran. Are you jealous?" he said slowly, deliberately, the smile deepening even more.

"Who are you?"

"A friend. An old, old friend."

The Corellian swallowed hard, remembering the Dark Lord's words back on Coruscant. And Master Yoda had thought that there might be two Sith ... Was this the other one?

"I see." Gathering all of his courage he drew himself up straighter. Alas the other man was still a head or so taller. Well, so be it. He could not change anything anyway. "And why should I be jealous?"

"Because you have been excluded, cannot follow your friend. You have become an intruder in his life. Jedi," the specter hissed, baring white teeth in a silent snarl.

"And do you think I care? Wait. Jedi? Luke is no Sith!"

The other man laughed quietly. "No? And what if he were? Would you hunt him like you did Lord Vader? Would your righteousness win out over friendship?"

He frowned suspiciously. "This is a test. But I will not fall for your stupid goadings."

"A test, Corran, is there to be taken, not to be refused. If you do not take a challenge then you will never be able to make your own choices."

"I am most capable of that, thank you very much," Corran replied stifftly.

"Then why don't you answer?"

"I will be a Jedi. As Luke is. You can't tell me he is anything else than that."

"Ah, but you are mistaken. About a great many things, it would seem. But maybe, maybe you will see the light in the end, the light of darkness. Secrets, Corran Horn, can be very dangerous."

"I know."

"You do, don't you? You are an introspective person. You will accept the truth in the end, and learn to cope with it."

"And what truth would that be?"

"The truth about the Jedi and Sith, the truth about your origins and your masters. The truth about keeping secrets and carrying responsibility."

"Tell me again who your are, the public relations manager of the Sith?"

Again a chuckle. "Not quite. My name is Exar Kun, Dark Lord of Sith. Before your time. Well before your time."

"I can see that," Corran snorted. "I wonder why you are still around."

"That too, my dear friend, is a secret. Yet." And then he simply disappeared.

Luke was hugging himself tightly, too moved by the recent events to do anything else but talk to Vader or meditate. His soul was in deep turmoil, set off course by a terrible truth, that had been spawned from a secret left untold for too long. Mara had explained to him everything she knew about the Sith, with or without the Dark Lord's consent the young Jedi did not know. No, not Jedi. He laughed bitterly. He was a Sith now, wasn't he? A Sith by adoption. Weird. Now, standing at the viewport of Mara's quarters aboard the ship Luke sighed deeply, shuddering with dread. 

"Are you all right?" she asked timidly from where she was seated on the comfortable looking couch in one corner. She had been watching him for an hour now, keeping silent to not disturb his warring thoughts. Luke smiled coldly.

"I do not understand why he fought so hard to keep this hidden. Why? Palpatine destroyed his people, his life and yet..."

"Lord Vader is a proud man."

"Too proud maybe."

"I am not certain."

Turning around Luke stared at Mara hard. "What?"

"Think about it. What does a proud man not want?"

"Pity?"

"Exactly."

"But that doesn't answer the question."

She shrugged. "I do not pretend to understand his lordship, do I?"

"I suppose not." He quirked a smile. "But I guess now that we are family he'll have to tell us."

"Don't count on it."

"You did what?"

"I talked to him. Surely there can be no harm in that?"

Darth Vader shook his head at Exar Kun meaningfully. "No harm? Corran Horn is an investigator. If he finds out-"

"You do not truly believe that you can continue keeping secrets now, do you? The lives of your people depend on you and on others understanding what has occurred here. If they don't, you will die and your people will be without guidance, abandoned by you. And, as I recall, you filled the young ones in on the past, did you not?"

The younger Sith Lord drew himself up haughtily. But it was true. Skywalker and Jade had demanded an explanation and he could hardly lie to those he was bound to protect and lead, could he? "I see. You might be interested to know that I will meet with Master Yoda once we have reached Coruscant."

"They agreed?"

"Skywalker spoke in my favor and they trust him, it would seem."

The two lords shared a knowing smile. "How fortunate," Kun mused aloud, his specter fluttering in obvious excitement. "And this Master Yoda, what about him? Will he understand that the time of keeping the truth hidden is over once and for all?"

"He has no choice. If he does not tell all of it the Jedi will be tainted forever because I will not keep silent."

"And he cannot afford to lose this one, can he? He has lost his last student already."

Darth Vader smiled coolly. "Not lost, Exar Kun, not at all."

"You mean-?"

"I can feel it. The boy is amazing. He will manage to lay the old enmities to rest."

"But what about you and me?"

"Afraid?" 

Exar Kun laughed, the melodious sound echoing throughout the small room the Dark Lord had been assigned to. Leaning toward the younger Sith Lord he let his voice drop to a whisper: 

"Never that."

He was patiently standing on the landing platform, oblivious to the murmur of voices filling the air around him. Everyone was watching the sky intently and anticipation was mixed with fear and triumph in the emotional range his keen senses could perceive. But those feelings, too, could not disturb his calm. Still, he could not deny the slight shaking of his hands. This outcome was unexpected and yet, he would not stand in the way of the Force. When the news had reached him he had been shocked at first, then overwhelmed with a great sense of defeat. In the end though he had accepted it. No more secrets. No more lies and half-truths. Finally there would be peace. Of course, there still was politics, but that too was a cliff they could master. The wind beating down on the great assembly suddenly from above broke his concentration though. The shuttle landed perfectly, setting down on the platform without disturbing it in the least. As the entry hatch slid open everyone seemed to tense, himself included. Luke bounded down the ramp, followed by a much more sober Corran. Both stopped suddenly and stared at him, embarrassed. But the Dark Lord's arrival broke the tense silence instantly. He swept onto the platform unafraid and his pale blue eyes locked onto the ancient Jedi Master without hesitating. Walking toward him Vader bowed formally and Yoda stared at the scars decorating the Sith Lord's face with some fascination. 

"Master Yoda." The voice was as calm as the man's serene features and there was nothing but peace in his mind. Returning the formal greeting Yoda inclined his head gravely. 

"Lord Vader, meet we do once more. Welcome you are to Coruscant."

The tall man smiled at him slowly. "Welcome? Is that a promise?"

Half an hour later the small company consisting of Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, Princess Leia, the Dark Lord plus the three Jedi had assembled in one of the former Imperial Palaces' meeting rooms. Seated around a table each seemed reluctant to begin talking. But, as Yoda had anticipated, Darth Vader took the lead in the end. Leadership had become second nature to him over the years and it was a guise that suited him perfectly. 

"I am certain that Corran Horn here has already reported to you," he began, folding his hands in front of them on the table top. "And you had a lot of time to think about what he has told you. Maybe you would care to enlighten me what you have decided?"

Mon Mothma shared a glance with the Jedi Master before answering: "Lord Vader, from what we could gather your heroic deeds saved the lives of many innocents. We found that quite impressive and also a bit disturbing."

"Disturbing," Vader echoed coldly.

"It does not fit your reputation."

"And my reputation is what you judge me by?"

"We do not know you in any other light, I fear. And there is some truth to it, I suspect."

"Some, agreed. But what does Corran Horn know that I do not?"

Master Yoda found that it was time to interfere. "No secrets, certain I am of that."

Vader smiled at him. "No, that is true. Let us talk about secrets then."

Yoda watched Luke lean forward unconsciously, his eyes intense.

Darth Vader cast a glance at the young man, but then focused on the Jedi Master again. "Maybe we should start at the end and the beginning," he smiled faintly. "A few months ago Corran Horn and Luke Skywalker led a squad of Rebel troops into the Great Tempe on Yavin 4. Unwillingly they disturbed me at a very unfortunate time. Their interference set off a series of actions on my part that can only be described as - disturbing."

"What were you doing there anyway?" Horn blurted out.

"I was actually attempting to join my people."

Luke spoke up somberly: "You wanted to die."

Vader nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

He hesitated, unsure of his course of action. But then he plunged on, determined once more: 

"I did not want the galaxy to remember us. The Sith were dead, or so I thought. Until life taught me differently."

"What did you do?" Again Corran Horn.

"The refugees. By protecting them, by shedding blood to save them I - bonded with them, made them mine."

"You did what? Why?"

"It is a bit hard to explain."

"Not at all," Mara Jade cut in. "And if you do not tell them yourself I will."

"You wouldn't dare, Jade."

"Try me."

"What does she mean?" Corran asked again, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Is it something to do with the scars?"

Vader stared at him for a long time before he finally answered. When he did, his voice took on a distant tone that made Luke and the rest of the small assembly shiver:

"The scars are Sith scripture. The beginning and the end to a poem about Life and Death and Darkness and Light. Its meaning - depends on who and where you are, what condition you are in and for what purpose you have chosen the Shanda - the ritual."

"What is that ritual?" Corran asked, suddenly curious.

"It is meant as a last resort. When you have no other choice. There is unlimited power gained from severing the bonds to your people, one you can use to thwart any threat to them, and I mean any. Of course, you will die in the end," the Dark Lord added with a mirthless laugh.

"That's disgusting. Why did you ever consider doing that?"

It was as if time froze the moment Corran uttered those words. He could feel Mara's green eyes drill into him and saw Luke's cold stare. What was worse though was the look of deepest hurt on Vader's face. "What? What did I say?"

"My - people - died with Palpatine. All of them, every single life on the planet was wiped out. It was I who condemned them to death when I set my personal revenge above my duties to my people. I let myself be trapped. And I have payed a horrible prize."

"And now you have found a new people," Luke stated, his eyes growing soft.

"Yes. A new purpose, a reason to live on. I am grateful for that, in a way, but..." His voice trailed off as his gaze focused into the distant memories.

"You are afraid that you will forget the Sith?"

"Mostly afraid of forgetting my family. My wife. My - daughter." He looked at Skywalker quickly. Should he tell him the truth? "You knew her, I believe."

The young man's face was drained of all blood. "Nomi," he breathed. "Your daughter?"

"I hated you for letting her down on Hoth. All I wanted was to kill you for letting her die."

Luke swallowed hard. So he had been right. There were still some truths to be uncovered, just as he had thought. But this ... Sweet stars, who could have known? Nomi Vader. She had loved her father so much. A warrior, she had said, fighting for lost causes. And it had been so true. Suddenly he found his mind overflooding with questions. But those would need to be asked later. He was dizzy with excitement though and unable to think straight. His bitterness over her death had been the spark that had lit the fire of his hatred, a hatred that had nearly driven him insane when the Dark Lord had become a prisoner on Endor. I wanted to kill him! I wanted to kill her father! A hand was placed on his forearm gently and he looked up into Leia's large eyes. Understanding reflected in their dark depths and it warmed his heart gradually. Would the bond that connected him to Vader now have an impact on what he shared with his sister? He hoped not. This was all so complicated. Troubled eyes sought the Dark Lord's calm gaze. But the pain he could see there hurt Luke to much. If he had known ... Very suddenly he felt angry at both Vader and Master Yoda for keeping this secret. His voice had a rough edge to it when he raised his head determinedly and spoke:

"You do realize, don't you, that the truth would have prevented a lot of these things from happening. A lot. If you had told the Jedi they could have helped you. You said to me that Obi-Wan Kenobi was your friend. Why did you not ask him to speak for you?"

Darth Vader gave him a long look before he answered. "You are right. Maybe I should not have kept silent for so long. Perhaps it was a mistake. But the truth would not have saved my people and it would not have saved me. And I will not deny that I have hated the Jedi for a long time. A very long time."

"Why?"

"I suggest you ask Master Yoda that question."

The chill settling between the Dark Lord and the tiny Jedi Master made everyone else shiver. Luke did not get it. What did Master Yoda have to do with anything? Yes, he had kept Vader's secrets, but surely he could not be blamed for that? But still, the question remained.

"Master Yoda, could you explain to me what he means?"

The alien sighed deeply. But the sadness in his moss-green eyes got to all of them. "Know we did the fate of the Sith."

A sharp intake of breath brought everyone's attention on Corran, whose emerald eyes were suddenly blazing with outrage. "You knew?" he hissed, voicing everyone's opinion aloud. Luke felt his jaw drop. 

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, fervently he spoke to come to their aid he did. But forbidden he was to interfere. The Jedi Council that decision they made. The sole survivor I am and the blame I will take."

"Thank you," Darth Vader said quietly, obviously moved.

But by then Mon Mothma had calculated what had been said and what had happened in the past to form a theory. Rising from her seat, a sure sign for her agitation, she stood tall, facing the Jedi Master. "The Jedi Order could hardly take the risk of helping Lord Vader. My heart cries out at your loss, but they could not have saved them. Noone could, you said it yourself."

The Dark Lord stared at her coldly. "That is only too true, but one fact remains: the Jedi's stance toward the Sith gave Palpatine the tool he needed to ensnare me. I do not want to belittle my role in this or excuse my naivité. When I was young my father send me to Coruscant for training, yet my willingness to learn was met only with distrust. Did you know, Mon Mothma, that the Jedi had sworn to kill every Sith who left our system? They were afraid. And rightfully so," he concluded, his voice dropping to a pained whisper.

Luek took a deep breath. There was too much darkness here, far too much. Joining Mon Mothma he closed his eyes briefly, fighting with himself for a brief period to find his calm again. When finally he looked upon the assembly again he smiled most sincerely. "Please, I understand now, I think, what drove each one of you to act the way you did. Lord Vader is right, the Jedi feared the Sith for a reason. And yet they took the wrong approach to solving this problem. Your father. Lord Vader, must have been a very wise man and yet the Jedi Council did not see that wisdom or else closed their eyes to it." A meaningful glance at Yoda sparked no anser. The alien Jedi was staring ahead pensively and Luke was not at all certain if his old master was listening at all. but Corran, Mara and Leia were returning his gaze with attentive silence. When the young man risked a glance in Vader's direction though his breath caught in his throat at the other's stony expression. "But we were given a chance to start anew," he continued a little less certain. "Don't you see? We cannot make the past undone, but we can make the future better."

Leia smiled at him. "Well spoken," she stated calmly and rose from her seat to take him in her arms. Turning her head around she nodded at the Dark Lord. "I understand your grief, Lord Vader, believe me. If you desire it I would like to help you overcome it as I overcame mine."

"That is a most gracious offer. But I have already found my peace."

"I am very happy to hear that."

"But maybe we could talk nevertheless?"

She beamed at Vader, her radiant smile mirrored in her dark eyes and Luke grinned joyfully. Maybe this would not be too bad.

Mara found her lips twitching in sympathy at the general feel of happiness permeating the small meeting room. Everything would turn out all right. Maybe. She surely wished for it. She had known most of the truth beforeheand, true, but the Jedi Master's admission had shocked her nevertheless. And yet Luke was right. They had been given a second chance and they were assembled here to use it. Now, if the Rebel leaders played this right it could also serve their own reputation. To uncover the greatest evil of Palpatine along with the destruction of Alderaan and showing forgiveness for the man whose life had been destroyed by it. Just perfect. She smiled coldly. Politics. It was politics mixed with real emotions and maybe that way it was not even the worst. Not at all. But Skywalker... Skywalker had surprised her. His little speech had eased the tension, had healed some wounds and had given them a tiny spark of hope. Now all they had to do was light a fire that would keep on burning for the time ahead. Still, the future could not start without the past being laid to rest. When Darth Vader's head came around suddenly, his blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly, she gasped involuntarily.

"The past is not to be forgotten," he told her softly. "Never. It reminds us of our failures and of why we have changed things to accomodate the present."

"You can read my mind?"

He shrugged easily. "I am the Dark Lord of the Sith. I am your guardian. There are a few privileges to that." Smiling at Mara he leaned back in his chair calmly.

"Much truth is in your words, Lord Vader," the Jedi Master added, his voice sounding awfully tired. "But determine we must, what happen will now."

It was some time later and the New Republic leaders were still discussing this new turn of events in private. Lord Vader had insisted on seeing after the refugees and had left an hour ago. Luke and Mara Jade had retreated to the Princess' quarters and now Master Yoda was walking the spacious gardens of the Palace with Corran in silence. The Corellian had been pestering him with a lot of questions about the past, about morals and ethics and how they applied to the Jedi. Yoda had told him about the horror of the Sith Wars which had led to the Jedi's decision to confine the Sith to their home world. And the young man had understood in the end. He was pragmatic, after all. Now, walking side by side each followed their own thoughts in deep concentration. Suddenly an easy laugh rang from Corran's lips.

"With all due respect, Master Yoda, you two are stubborn old fools, I think."

"Do you now? Agree Lord Vader would not."

"Oh, he would, I am sure. Speaking of..." His voice trailed off and he stopped, looking over at the dark-clad form of the Dark Lord who was discussing with some New Republic troops quite loudly. The two Jedi approached the group cautiously, but at a wave of the Jedi Master's hands the soldiers dispersed, throwing suspicious glances at the Sith Lord as they left. 

"What was that about? Corran asked, curious.

"They will not let me leave," the tall warrior replied curtly.

"What? Of course not! And why do you want to leave before the New Republic has decided?"

Master Yoda made a shushing noise and Corran fell silent obediently. Nodding at the Dark Lord Yoda gestured for a set of benches and waited for everyone to take a seat. 

"Justified it is. Why want you to leave?"

"I do not want my people to stay here on Coruscant. I will go and search for a suitable place for us to live."

"The New Republic could help you with your inquiries," Corran put in gently.

"No, thank you, they have ' helped' enough already," Vader snorted. Yoda sighed deeply. 

"Need you they will. Or do you intend to leave them without a leader as you did before?" 

The Dark Lord held his head proudly but his blue eyes flashed with annoyance: 

"Well played, Jedi. Indeed I would not want my people's fate to be repeated. Not as long as you are still around." 

His temper finally snapping Corran jumped up angrily and opened his mouth to reply something vicious. Vader shot him a cool glance and a cruel smile. "Have you made your master's secrets your own?" 

The Corellian frowned furiously: "No, I have not," he answered finally and sat back down. 

Yoda shook his head sadly: "Mistakes we both have made, Corran. Learn from them you must. But, Lord Vader, leave I will not let you." 

Now it was the Sith Lord's turn to rise in fury. "You will not let me!" he screamed, his voice echoing hoarsely through the peaceful garden. Hands propped on his hips he stared down at the two Jedi sternly.

"It is my decision, mine alone. And I will not concede to your wishes, under no circumstances." 

Master Yoda and Corran shared a knowing glance. 

"Then you leave us no choice. We will accept your decision. But others may not." 

Vader snorted contemptously: 

"If you are referring to the so-called New Republic - well, they can certainly try to stop me. And fail."

Frowning at the other man Yoda suddenly had a nasty suspicion nagging at the back of his mind. The Dark Lord felt strangely on edge, agitated even. "Lord Vader, think I do that your goal another it is."

"And you are right. He is going to Yavin 4," a new voice announced with some satisfaction.

Darth Vader sighed inwardly. Somehow Exar Kun had a knack for appearing just at the wrong moment. He gave the specter a heated glare before he went on to study the two Jedi's startled expression. 

"You!" Corran Horn shouted suddenly. "I remember you."

"And I you. Ain't that nice? And this is the infamous Master Yoda. A pleasure."

The Jedi Master's mouth twitched in distaste. "Exar Kun. The stories, remember them I do. Manage you did how to escape your prison?"

"Does it matter?"

The Dark Lord wiped a hand through the bluish outline impatiently. "Enough. It is true. I am going to Yavin 4 to attend to some unfinished business."

"What business?"

"Corran. Leave you will us now," Yoda ordered the Corellian coolly. 

Once the Jedi apprentice had retreated the alien master faced the two Sith Lords calmly. Very impressive. He must know that Kun can still wreck havoc in the real world if he wishes too. And yet there is no fear here, Darth Vader thought with some admiration.

"So, what business is this?"

"An initiation for the future Dark Lord of the Sith."

Yoda's face hardened. "Luke knows of this?"

Exar Kun burst out laughing. "He catches on pretty quickly, doesn't he?"

"Not yet," Darth Vader replied between clenched teeth, trying hard to ignore the annoying specter. "But when his time comes he will be duly informed. Still, the initiation rite encompasses two seperate rituals. One for the past and one for the future."

The Jedi Master smiled. "Try you should this time to stay alive."

"Do not worry. I will keep an eye on him," Kun explained cheerfully. 

"Then you agree to this?"

"Need we do a new beginning. And united will be the Jedi and the Sith."

Three weeks later the time had come for the Sith to embrace their new guardian. Luke was mightily nervous as he stepped onto the platform gingerly. It was a sturdy construct made of stone and yet he felt that it would slip away underneath his feet at any time. Fighting down his excitement he put on a calm face and blew out his breath measuredly. Darth Vader had returned from Yavin 4 a week back looking tired but satisfied. And Luke was glad that he had arrived safely. He would have hated having Exar Kun as his teacher. Shooting the two former Dark Lords situated at the edge of the crowd a nervous glance he composed himself for the ritual. Dressed in formal black the young man closed his eyes as he had been instructed to, and listened intently. Man, it was too bad that Leia and all of his friends had not been allowed to attend too. But this was for Sith only. _Concentrate!_ a sharp voice snapped at him impatiently and he was startled to find that it had been his own. His arms raised almost of their own accord as he began to speak the words of the ritual, watching each of it disappear in the endless void ahead of him. As he continued feeding the darkness his ears picked up very faint echoes, a song building from the deepest depths of the universe, calling out to him. The Force. Never had he felt so close to it before in his life. His voice gained strength with each passing moment and when the assembly suddenly joined in with his chant he felt tears of joy stream down his cheeks. Filled with a desire to protect and to guide those he had sworn to lead Luke Skywalker secretly vowed to himself that he would not let the Jedi be forgotten. There would be guardians and there would be his people. There would be peace at last. And no more secrets.

The End


End file.
